City of Heavenly Fire (The Beginning of the End)
by Dunno12345
Summary: My version on how the next book will go. Please read and review!
1. Paper and Pencils

"Do I look as ridiculous as I feel?" Clary Frey asked, standing in front of Isabelle Lightwood's body-length mirror, scorning herself for caving in and allowing her friend to dress her up. Isabelle had run around her room excitedly, deciphering Clary's best color, appropriate heel-height, and makeup to wear this evening. She was spending the night with Jace, hoping that after everything they'd gone through, they could have a semi-normal night.

Just a few weeks ago, Clary had battled emotional confliction along with physical horror; for Jace had spent weeks being possessed by Sebastian, Clary's brother to whom Clary could agree needed to seriously revise the definition of "brother." Nightmares still haunted her unconciousness, reliving and rewinding the most horrid part when she had been forced to _stab _Jace in order to bring him back to himself. Presently, as if that hadn't complicated the whole "couple" matter to its maximum, Jace now had Heavenly Fire burning inside him, shocking someone who he came too close in contact with. Now they were finally going out after months spent apart, -since Jace hadn't been _the _Jace during those horror-filled days.

Isabelle shrieked with delight. "You look beautiful! Jace is gonna-for once-be speechless, and as you very well know, that is an extremely hard thing to accomplish." She said, as she continued to smather Clary's face in various varieties of "stuff," most of the labels unfamiliar to her since she was beyond uneducated in the art of beautification appliances. Clary held up one. "_Laugh-wrinkle cream?_" she asked, horrified. "I do _not _have wrinkles!"

Isabelle rolled her eyes. "_laugh _wrinkles. Only appear when you _laugh. _which you just happen to do a _lot. _That and scowling."

Clary automatically helped to prove her point, bringing a smile to her friend's lips. "Relax. Jace apparently finds it attractive."

"I think Simon does, too," Clary said nochalantly. Isabelle cut her a look.

Simon was Clary's best friend who also just so happened to be a vampire. A Daylighter. As much as Isabelle tried to hide it, Clary knew she had a thing for him, just like Simon did for her. Si was like a brother to Clary, so while she found this kind of endearing, she also found it kind of gross.

"Fine," Isabelle said, tossing the cream in a nearby trash. "That's because I don't need it and you won't use it."

"Maybe it's a sign you need to smile more," said Clary, "or use the cream less."

Isabelle turned offensive, glaring at Clary through the mirror. "Maybe you need to tell better jokes that don't competely suck," she snapped, making Clary roll her eyes. Leave it to Isabelle to pull out the "excuse" card. Clary's jokes weren't exactly great, she agreed, but they didn't earn the title of "suck."

"Am I decent yet?" She asked, not even bothering to shield the longing to escape from her voice. All she wanted now was to be with Jace. All this time wasted on appearance when Jace never really cared. They'd kissed in blood-dried, dank clothes before. She highly doubted that Jace would judge her on her appearance by this point. And if he did she'd just smack him.

"Decent? yes. Ready? Almost. Let me just fix this one part of your hair . . . "

"Jace likes it down, though," Clary muttured, watching as Isabelle mussed with her tendrils of red hair.

"Yeah, yeah I know. The whole wind-dancing, hair-blown effect. Gotcha. But _I _like it up."

Clary supressed the urge to smack her face in exasperation. "But I'm going out with _Jace._"

"Stop whining!" Isabelle demanded. "You're almost done. Besides, if you guys get attacked or whatever, then the hair will be out of your eyes and you'll be able to see."

Clary shot her a glare. "Thanks for that vote of confidence. I feel so much better now," she said sacarstically.

A few seconds passed before Izzy abruptly groaned in annoyance, making Clary jump. "Your hair is pissing me off," she hissed, "why won't it just _stay?_"

"Because it's hair, not a puppy," Clary grumbled.

Isabelle gave her her famous _shut-up or die _kind of glance and Clary immediately pursed her lips from mouthing off again.

"I think it would just be easier if you shaved your head and then bought a puppy."

Clary groaned internally. _Someone get me out of here, _she thought.

Then a knock snapped her out of her annoyance just as Jace's voice appeared from the other side. "Are you guys almost done? It's like six and our reservation was for six-fifteen-"

Isabelle sent a glare that could have turned the wood ablaze in a scorching fire. "Shut-up, Jace. You're gonna have to wait! Stop being so impatient!" she yelled, irritable.

"Clary?" Jace asked, concern highlighting his tone. "Clary, are you still alive?"

"Barely," she returned, rubbing her temples with her fingers. Ugh, she felt like a caged bird who just wanted to be released. If you loved someone, let it go, right? Clary wondered just how far Isabelle's care went. Either it just skimmed the surface or Isabelle had stopped liking her.

Just then, the girl grumbled something incoherently. "You guys have no respect. Jace, don't you want her to look somewhat civilized and normal? Don't you want her to look gorgeous?"

Clary heard Jace sigh, no doubt scolding his adopted sister behind the door. Jace had joined the Lightwoods when he was ten after watching the death of his "father" who turned out not to be his, but Clary's father. And he hadn't really died until recently when the Angel had struck him down after killing Jace.

The details still made Clary's head spin like the tasmanian devil.

"No," Jace said, "I want her to look like Clary."

That brought a scowl to her eyebrows. "What?"

She heard a light chuckle. "You know what I mean. You're always beautiful. I just don't want Isabelle to turn you into a freaking Prom Queen."

Clary whimpered, looking at herself in the mirror. She wore a long red dress with an oh-so-not-modest V-neckline that was just before "plunging," along with two-inch-high heel pumps. Her face was dalloped with different types of makeup, eyes shadowed and stensiled to perfection. "You might want to rethink your leniency," she said, "I'm getting awful close."

"Yeah," Isabelle then puckered. "All that's left is that tiara. You know, the one mom got after I killed my first Downworlder?"

Clary supressed the urge to laugh, attempting to imagine Isabelle with a _tiara._ She even wanted to mentally include a wand and a tu-tu,but no matter how hard she tried, the image just wouldn't take form inside her head.

"Isabelle, come on!" Jace said, the irritation evident in his voice. "Haven't you ever heard the line, 'not to keep a guy waiting?'"

His sister mulled that over for a half a second before replying, "I think it's never to keep a _girl _waiting, Jace. Why don't you go find a dummy to practice target on?"

"Because I have already reached my full potential," he said, "and I look nice. Don't want to mess up my hair."

Isabelle raised her eyebrows. "Wow, Clary," she said, raising her voice to insure that Jace would overhear, "he definitely is not a _guy_ you want to keep waiting."

"Okay," Clary murmured, "time's up, Izzy," she said, trying to stand.

"We are going to lose our reservation," Jace repeated.

Isabelle shot the door another wooden-sparking glare. "You better not be hopping on one foot like a total wus. And you should be concerned that I can actually enviosion that."

Clary didn't even want to look at herself again in the mirror as she eagerly approached the door.

"Wait," Isabelle said, "could I just fix that-?"

"Nope. One hair out of place is not going to kill me, Izzy. Thanks for your help," Clary said, the last part a bit forced.

She opened the door to see Jace's bright golden eyes looking down at hers. He wore a black shirt with a tie, along with dark jeans that-for Jace-was equivalent to a tuxedo. His pale blonde hair fell long and curled over his eyebrows that were raised very high as he stared at her, mouth agape.

"I look like a complete Barbie wannabe, don't I?" she asked, her hopes falling.

Jace slowly shook his head. "Uh . . . wow," he said, eyes probing the heels and the makeup and the neckline, all of which brought a flush to Clary's cheeks. "Ready?" she inquired, hoping to change the topic.

He nodded. "Yeah, let's hit it."

Clary smiled, squelching the forboding feeling that had suddenly crawled into her stomach, murmuring dark secrets of deception stating that at some point tonight, something was going to go horribly wrong.


	2. Dark Before Dawn

Clary and Jace held hands as they strolled along the streets of bustling New York. The air was crisp and cool, not too hot but not too cold either. Perfect.

Just like Jace, Cary couldn't help but think.

She didn't know exactly where they were headed; Jace had given her nothing to go by except that it was a "surprise." That, for whatever reason, made her extremely nervous.

"So," she began for the third time that night, "where are you taking me?"

"You'll see," was all he said, cutting her a mischevious smile as he continued to lead her down the overly inhabited streets, to where, Cary couldn't guess.

She glanced over at him, but he was already staring intently back at her. She'd caught him doing that a few other times and by this point, Clary was beginning to feel very self-concious. "Stop looking at me," she said, her voice ringing with accusation.

Bu he kept staring. "Sorry. It's just you in that dress . . . It just makes me want-" Immediately, he cut himself off, suddenly very intruiged by the craftsmnship of a nearby, run-down caf'e.

Clary tried to supress a smile. "Makes you want to do what?"

He stopped and turned fully to her. "This," he said, yanking her down a small alleyway they faced, backing her up against the wall until her back gently slammed against it. Then he was kissing her, every part of her. His hands caressed her shoulders, callused but featherike. His lips crushed against hers, melting them into one being. Clary's heart fluttered like a hummingbird's wings in her chest, threatening to break her. She curled her fingers into his soft, golden hair, chershing the feel of him being hers again.

Then, suddenly, an electric shock seemed to run up her arm and they sprang apart. Clary looked at the dull flames flickering beneath Jace's skin.

True, the Fire seemed to have disspiated a bit, weaker than it had been a few weeks ago, but that didn't mean it no longer hurt to get shocked by it.

"Sorry," Jace said, his breath ragged as he looked at her longingly, "I've just been needing to do that for a - really long time."

Clary smiled, ignoring the tingles that the Fire had caused dancing up her shoulder. "Me too."

Then he took her hand and led her out of the alleyway, crossing the street that opened up to . . .

"An art museum?" she asked, momentarily confused. Clary knew she was a good artist but she had difficulty trying to conjure the image of Jace marveling at an impressionist's work. She glanced at him with a vexed expression plastered to her face. "What"-?

"C'mon," he said, interrupting her. He grabbed Clary by the hand, hushing her up the small stairs and into the white stucture, lined with painting upon painting, abstract and concrete images clashing alongside eachother. Jace hurried her through the surrealism exhibit and the modern art, turning into the small cubicle-like area that Clary hadn't caught the title of. "Jace wha-"

Then she saw it.

Hung on one side of the wall where a couple people marveled at the image, was one of Clary's drawings.

It was a picture of her, Isabelle, Alec, and Jace, sitting around a table. She'd drawn Jace's back to the viewer because she could never fully get his profile the way she wanted to. Isabelle was smiling at Alec who had his eyes raised at Jace. Drawn Clary's eyes seemed to be looking at each of the other Shadowhunter's, a look of love and adoration sparking them to life.

Clary's breath seemed to stutter to a halt. "You-turned one of my paintings in?" she asked, still looking at the detailed picture adorned in a golden frame.

"Yeah. I thought your drawings deserved to be in an art museum where other people could see them. I don't think you realize just how amazing of an artist you are. And this one with us in it was my favorite," he said.

Clary couldn't turn around. She felt a sudden warmth seep into her skin, tears prickling the corners of his eyes. "I can' believe you did this," she replied, her voice small.

"I thought you'd like it," he said, his hand wrapping around hers, finally making her look at him.

"It's . . ." she couldn't find the right word. "Incredible," was what she decided on.

He smiled in triumph. "You're incredible."

And, standing there with a few other people because they'd decided not to use glamours, she kissed him, pouring out her emotions in that single moment. "I love you," she whispered, so low that the mundanes couldn't hear.

Jace smiled. "I kinda love you, too," he said, kissing her once more.

* * *

Clary was still a bundle of nerves, still glowing after receiving her amazing gift from Jace and stopping at some fancy restaurant to eat as they made their way back to the Institute. She felt happier then than she had in weeks, after finally movng on after the whole Sebastian/possession horror feast.

But for some untold reason, deep down inside her, she knew it wouldn't last.

She tried to shove away the feeling, wanting to stay in the present without worrying about what might happen. She continued to tug Jace along, shooting him smile after smile as they neared the Institute.

But then, after the passing of a few minutes when she felt the eerie sensation that they were being watched, the feeling that her happiness wouldn't last, sparked into reality.

Shadows descended upon them and, Jace already hyper-alert, retrieved his Seraph blade hidden . . . Clary didn't know where.

She was too busy unsheathing her own, strapped high against her leg. They immediately went back to back, eyes sifting from place to place, seeking the owners of the shadows.

"Well, well, well," a cold, evil voice murmured from the depths of sudden darkness. No one was around them. No mundanes were passing by. They were completely alone. "Which one did he say he wanted?" the voice asked, the sound of padding feet entering Clary's ears.

"The girl," another answered, except this voice was high pitched and jagged. "He wants the girl."

"Over my dead body," Jace said, his voice as sharp as crushed shards of glass.

"That can be arranged," the pitchy one said and he lunged at him.

Jace was quick, the light eminating off of his blade allowing Clary to glimpse the face of one of the creatures. Big, black, and snakelike. She hadn't seen ones like these before.

Clary sprang forward to the other one, swiping her blade this way and that, feeling it scrape along the side of one of the beasts. It howled in momentary pain before turning on her, slashing its long claws at her feet.

"Don't kill her!" the pitchy one still fighting with Jace suddenly shrieked.

"He said dead or alive!" the larger one yelled back, still slashing at Clary. One claw caught her by her hip and a blazing pain suddenly shot up her side, making her cry out.

"Clary!" Jace yelled, trying to sidestep the smaller creature, attempting to impale it in the back, trying to get to her.

Clary clutched at her side where blood was seeping through at an alarming rate, still keeping her blade steady as she lunged again for the creature. She felt the beast race by her and she whirled around, digging the tip inside the beasts shoulder. It screetched and swiped its leg, sending her slamming against the far side of a wall.

Jace called out to her again, but she couldn't answer. The beast loomed from overhead, red eyes staring intently into her own. It launched forward and, in a moment, Clary had directed her blade upwards, where it sunk into the creature's stomach as it landed on her.

She heard Jace scream out her name before everything went black.


	3. The Color of Crimson

"Clary? Clary, please answer me," a panicked voice penetrated Clary's mind, beckoning her back to reality, calling her back to herself.

But she could not follow. Something held her there, suspended in nothingness.

She wanted to answer the voice, but she couldn't find her lips. Clary didn't know where she was. She couldn't feel anything; not the cold of the ground she vaguley remembered falling against; not the warmth of Jace's arms around her, murmuring soft whispers of reassurance in her ear.

Then whatever grip on reality she had faltered and darkness sucked her back in once again.

'*^I^*'

Jace held Clary's limp body in his arms, supressing the panic that threatened to overwhelm him. Blood was dripping from her side, an ugly gash where one of the beast's claws had gotten her, the crimson dark splotches against her red dress. More came away on Jace's fingers when he touched her neck, cradling her against him. "Clary? Clary please answer me," he asked, rocking her gently back and forth, shooting a sideway glance at the walls to insure that no other creatures lurked nearby.

Clary remained motionless in his arms, Jace's hands a bloodied mess. "You'll be fine, okay?" he whispered quietly to her, tearing off parts of his shirt and using the scraps to wrap them firmly around Clary's side wound and the puncture in her neck. He tied it off as securly as he could, then tucked the strands of her hair behind her ears and out of her face.

He retrieved his stele, jammed between his shoe and his heel, placing it over her neck puncture first.

Black colors swirled against Clary's pale complexion, embedding into her skin over the wound. Slowly, the puncture decreased in size until it had disappeared altogether.

He did the same thing to the gash in her side, casting Clary worried looks as he worked.

Fear mixed with adrenaline still coursed through his veins, but he sighed in relative relief when the wounds on Clary's body had fully dissolved.

"Clary?" he asked again, the backs of his fingers rubbing gently against her cheek. Panic still spiked in his chest at the sight of her so lifeless in his arms, but he shoved it away, holding her tightly against him. "Clarissa, open your eyes and look at me," he begged, resting his forehead on hers. "C'mon, Clary."

Anguish-induced minutes ticked away, each one feeling longer than the last as Jace sat there and waited for Clary to look at him with those big green eyes he found so incredibly amazing. What if he'd done something wrong? What if she needed better treatment? What if-

Then her lids flickered and slowly she opened them partly, looking up at him with a confused expression on her face. "I-I think I-killed it," she said, her voice ringing with so much pride that Jace felt his heart crack. His face broke into a smile, relief knocking him over in waves.

Abruptly, Jace lowered his lips to hers but pulled back quickly, not wanting to accidentally shock her. "Think you can walk?" he asked and when she nodded, Jace lifted her up and planted Clary firmly on her feet. She rested her head against him and Jace automatically wrapped an arm around her, making a protective shield that not even Sebastian himself would be dumb enough to cross.

'*^I^*'

"Mom, I'm fine," Clary said, holding out her arms as Jocelyn inspected her for injuries. Luckily, Clary had been able to change into non-bloodied clothes before she'd made it home, but knowing that her mother would still see the leftover branding of the Marks Jace had put on her.

Clary's mother gave her a stern look. "See? This is exactly why I don't think-"

"Stop!" Clary shouted. Jocelyn had disagreed with her and Jace as a couple, continuing to find reasons to launch at Clary, still hoping her daughter would break up with the once-upon-a-time-possessed Shadowhunter.

"Mom, this wasn't Jace's fault. You have to quit blaming him," Clary snapped. "If I fell off a bridge and Jace wasn't even there, you'd probably still find a way to blame him for that, too!"

Jocelyn's shoulders tensed at her daughter's words but Clary refused to feel guilty. Her mother was being unfair. Difficult. No-impossible. "Honey, I just don't want to see you get-"

"What?" Clary asked, interrupting her mother again. "Get hurt? Mom, you know I'm going to get hurt! It's who we are!"

"Clarissa-"

"Fine," she said, holding up her hands as if in defeat. "I don't want to talk about this anymore," she announced. "I'm going to bed."

And with that, Clary darted up the flight upstairs, leaving her mother staring after her.

'*^I^*'

Clary awoke hours later, the day still dark as she tossed around in her bed. A searing, white-hot pain seemed to be throbbing against Clary's neck, threatening to explode. She brought her hands up to her face, a few fingers coming away wet with liquid.

Immediately, Clary threw her legs over the side of her bed, one hand clamped across her neck, the other held hovering in front of her face.

She entered the bathroom and clicked on the light, muffling a scream as she looked in the mirror.

Blood dripped from her nose, ropes cascading down her face, staining her white-cotton shirt red. Her eyes darted over to her pillow where the bathroom light sliced across her bedspread, revealing darker spots across the case.

Clary's breath picked up, piqued with sudden panic and fear.

Something was horribly wrong.

**Yay. Another chapter done. Whadya guys think? R&R PLEASE to let me know if you want me to continue!**


	4. Roses of Glass

Isabelle threw herself down on her bed, waiting impatiently for the door to ring. She wondered how on earth he could be taking so long to get here. Not long in mundie standards but long in Vampire standards. Maybe he just didn't want to come. Was he just getting sick of her? Did he want to break up? Did he even consider them together?

Isabelle grabbed a nearby pillow and buried her face into it, sick of all the emotions pummeling her brain. This was ridiculous! She had never been obsessing over anything-any_one_- like this before. On the contrary, in her love life, she was acting like the guy would. How they all did.'

Now she was in their predicament with a pillow covering her face, trying very very hard not to scream in to it.

"Are you okay?"

Instinctually, Isabelle lurched forward, the pillow soaring across the room. Simon grabbed it out of the air before it could hit him in the face, raising an eyebrow at Isabelle.

She hadn't even heard him enter. Great. Now the Vampire was messing with her senses.

"Sorry I asked," he mumbled.

Isabelle crossed her legs. "No, sorry, I just didn't know you were there," she said, combing one of her hands through her dark hair.

Simon stepped forward. "Good. I mean-not good that you couldn't hear me but good that I got to surprise you because that's what I wanted . . . to . . . do," he slowed, giving Isabelle one of those odd smiles that made her heart flip inside her chest. He walked ove to her and it was then that she noticed one of his hands were hidden behind his back and now he took it away, making Isabelle close her eyes first.

"I know this is corny and really almost-kind of- cliche, but I just wanted to tell you-which you already know-that I really like you, Isabelle Lightwood," he said, placing something long in her hands, "and that I don't want to mess this up."

Isabelle opened her eyes and stared down at the rose, which was in fact, made of glass. She smiled questioningly up at him, a fluttering sensation threatening to fly her away.

He smiled again. "Well, regular flowers die and yeah-they may smell really good and stuff which I think just makes it sadder. Besides, if this is symbolism, a regular flower would tell that your love is about to either die or conclude in failure, whereas this one won't."

Isabelle stroked the beautiful glass piece, marveling at its delicate assembly so intricately woven into the pedals and the leaves. "Thank you," she said. "It's gorgeous."

"Like you."

And that's what did it. Isabelle gently placed the flower on her dresser and in the next instant, pulled Simon down to her.

Simon did not object as his lips met hers, his cold ones molding against the warmth of hers while his hands wrapped fiercely across her waist. She placed her hands at the base of his neck, toying with a strand of his hair as they kissed her.

Isabelle had had a lot of boyfriends in the past, but none of them had ever made her feel like this. Now she was second-guessing herself, screaming in to pillows, asking all the questions those formly boyfriends of hers had once asked, and fantasising about these moments when she could feel absolutely perfect. _He _made her feel perfect.

It was all irritatingly wonderful.

. . . Until Simon's phone dinged in his pocket.

"Do you have to get that?" she asked, her breathing coming in quick, shallow gasps.

One look at her and he shook his head, silencing the phone and bringing his face down to hers once more.

After a few heaven-filled moments of passionate kissing, Simon's phone seemed to want to be included again. Simon groaned and pulled it out, this time locking his gaze on the number. "It's Jocelyn."

"I thought she told us to only call her if there was an emergency," Isabelle said, glancing between the phone and Simon who nodded. "Yeah and that she would only call for the same reason."

Without hesitation, Simon flipped it open and Isabelle could steadily make out the worried and frantic voice of Clay's mother.

"Calm-calm down. Wha-She what?" Simon asked into the receiver and Isabelle's hands involunteerily clenched. Was Clary alright?

"Yes. I'll be there. I'll get Jace." Then the phone was snapped shut.

Simon was up in an instant, Isabelle tailing him as he walked towards Jace's doors and hit it five times-hard, causing the wood to shutter.

Jace opened the door, one eye squinted open. "Yeah, Vamp?' he asked, his voice heavy with sleep.

"It's Clary," was all Simon needed to say for Jace to lose the attitude and hear him out. "Jocelyn called. She saw Clary's light on and went to check on her and found her on the floor." Simon shifted his stare from Isabelle and her brother as if not wanting to say the last part. "Jace, she was covered in blood."


	5. The Fallen Hero

Jace ran up the quiet walkway of Clary's house, panic and dread racing through his veins. Simon followed in his wake, badgering him with questions on what had happened when he'd gone out with Clary.

Jace hadn't really been given much time to study the breeds of those creatures, but he knew that he wasn't familiar with them. What had they done to her?

Jace wasn't even going to bother on knocking, his hands reaching for the door's handle when a scream made both of them stop dead, blood turning ice-cold. Colder than even Simon's.

It had been pure torment to see Clary's bleeding body ealier that evening, seeing how helpless and vulnerable she'd been, but it was so much worse to actually _feel _her anguish and hear her screams of pain.

Instantly, Jace hd flung open the door and was racing upstairs, following the noise into Jocelyn's room. His eyes found Clary, curled in on herself, hands clutching the blankets strewn around her.

Everything seemed to fall away as Jace stared at her ghostly-pale complexion, lips red with blood. Sweat beaded on her neck and Jocelyn quickly swiped at it with a cool wash cloth, murmuring soft things into her ear. Then Clary's mother eyes met his and he could have sworn that he saw accusation flicker in her eyes.

Clary suddenly tossed, mumbling incoherent words to herself, her eyebrows scrunching as her hands tightened on the sheets. Jace caught his own name in the garble of her words.

He felt mind-numbingly helpless. What could he do? This was all his fault. Guilt battered him in bone-crushing waves along with the excruciating pain of having to watch Clary fling this way and that, calling out to him.

Immediately, not even caring about Jocelyn's invisible borderline, he stepped forward, dropping to the side of her bed and grasping her hand, slick and clammy with sweat.

"No," she whispered, eyes still closed but seeing something else beyond the backsof her lids. "Jace-Jace I can't."

Jace squeezed her hand harder, smoothing his other cool hand over the burning of her forehead. "Shh, Clary," he soothed, trying to squelch the fear and panic out of his voice. "I'm here."

"Don't-don't make me-I won't!" she yelled all of a sudden, falling into an abrupt coughing fit.

Jace felt his eyesight blur in horror, Clary hacking until it subsided.

"NO! Jace, you-come back!" she continued to yell, her voice raspy.

Jace felt as if everything was falling apart at the seams. He didn't acknowledge Luke with his hands holding Jocelyn together; didn't register Simon by the opposite side of the bed, looking anywhere but at Clary as if the image hurt too much. But Jace couldn't _not _look. This girl was his world. And now, he was watching as whatever thoughts about her tormented her with nightmare upon nightmare, and he could do nothing to stop it.

He could only brush away the tears that started to fall down Clary's cheeks and beg to everything good in the world that her pain would just end.

"He'll-come back," she gasped then. He-will."

And somehow, Jace knew. Something clicked into place at the recollection of Clary's story about what had happened and he _knew _that behind her lids, she was back on that battlefield with a sword in hand, pointed directly at his chest.

* * *

Clary felt as if she were on fire. She cried out as they licked across her neck, scorching it over and over. She waited for the pain to dull, waited for someone to pour water over the fire . . . waited to die . . .

but no relief came. She was trapped; caged in some part of her mind as she fought against the shadows and images that swam before her. One wizzed by and she caught sight of Jace, calling out to him from the darkness that engulfed her.

Then he materialized before her, the smile she loved so much plastered to his face. She threw her arms around him, clutching him closer, pulling his lips down to meet hers, to take her away from the black . . .

"Clary, it's time," Jace said, stepping away from her. Suddenly, Clary's arms seemed to strain with extra wait and her hand fell, grasped firmly aroun the hilt of the blade. "You have to do it, Clary."

It took her a moment to comprehend his words but once she had, she looked at him in horror. "Jace-Jace, I can't-" she stuttered, shifting gazes from the blade to him.

"Yes you can, Clarissa. You have to."

She was shaking her head fiercly, backing away. Except no matter how much her feet moved, she made no progress. "Don't-don't make me!" she pleaded, "I won't!"

Then in a sudden flash, the weapon had disappeared from Clary's hands and for a second, she felt relief.

Only to find Jace on the ground, his chest bleeding alarmingly fast; eyes closed.

Immediately, she dropped beside him, placing his head in her lap, refusing to believe what she was seeing. "NO!" she screamed at him. "Jace, you-come back!" she begged, sobbing into him. Voices sounded behind her in soft mumurs, but she couldn't catch any words, just their feelings of doubt.

"He'll-come back," she told them, rocking him lightly, her forehead pressed against his. "He-will."

But as Clary waited, nothing happened. Then the image dissolved and she was again left alone with the dark, nothing but its endlessness except for the flashes of Jace's lifeless form still fresh in her mind.


	6. The Hybrid

Simon paced arond the perimeter of Clary's building, trying to get his thoughts together. What was happening to her? Was it just something that had to work its way out of Clary's system? What were those things Jace had tried to describe?

Simon was nearly pulling his hair out. Was Clary going to . . . ?

Immediately, he stopped, punching his fist into the bricks of the wall. He crushed them instantly, but it did nothing to ease the worry and panic from his shoulders. This was Clary he was talking about. Clary! Tough, too-stubborn-to-back-down Frey. She'd get through this. Just like she'd gotten through everything else, she would.

Right?

Still, he couldn't get the image of her out of his head, nor the expression of pure . . . torture on Jace's. It had been like watching a man being submerged in acid, trampled by horses, and torn apart by wolves all at the same time. If that level of pain could have even been possible, Jace had managed it.

and it had terrified Simon.

Next to too-stubborn-to-back-down Frey was always too-strong-and-shielded Lightwood/Herondale who never gave away a thing and, who above all, _never _cried.

But Jace's armor had shattered into a pile of useless dust, allowing Simon to see straight through him.

And man, had it freaked him out.

"Simon?" Isabelle called to him, nearly making him jump out of his skin. He faced her, but stayed silent, not trusting his voice to speak.

"How's she doing?" Isabelle asked, stepping forward and placing a hand on his shoulder. Simon just shook his head. "Bad, Izzy."

She continued to rub Simon's shoulder reassuringly, not really knowing what more to do. Simon turned into her and she wrapped her arms firmly around his waist, not promising that Clary would be okay or that they would get through this.

And it was one of the things he loved about her so much.

They stayed like that for what felt like an indefinite amount of time, until Isabelle pulled back to look at Simon, tears pooling in her eyes. "I didn't want to say anything before-not with Jace around but . . . " she trailed off, looking down.

"Hey," Simon said, placing a hand under her chin and tilting it up, "what is it?"

Isabelle exhaled. "I . . . I think I know what attacked Clary."

That took Simon completely off-guard and he just stared at her for a moment, saying nothing. "H-how?" he managed.

Her shoulders sagged. "Well, when Jace described them, I remember once when I was younger . . . I can't even be sure that what I saw was the same thing but . . . but I think it is."

"What is it?" he asked, desperation in his voice. "Will Clary be alright?"

Isabelle bit her lip. Whatever she was about to say, Simon knew it would be bad.

"They're altered hybrids," she said, looking down again.

Simon gave her a confused look. "How's that possible? Hybrids of what?"

Izzy shook her head and shrugged. "I don't know. Lycantrope, vampire . . . "

He cocked his head, giving her a vexed expression. "That's not-"

"Think of what Valentine did to Sebastian. Someone must have spliced DNA or injected it into something else in hopes of creating whatever was needed to be accomplished."

Simon's mind reeled. None of that was possible. The only werewolf Simon really even liked was Maia and sort of Jordan but this was . . .

"Not possible," he said, shaking his head.

"How would we know if we've never seen it?" Izzy challenged. "Those creatures have a constant internal battle between their two sides, just like Sebastian does. But it's all the same. All of them seek blood and revenge and just . . . death. It's specifically designed to kill. Moreso than even Sebastian whose just a psychotic nut who wants to end the world."

Simon leveled his gaze at her, trying to absorb this. He stepped away and turned around before whirling back on her. "And they were after Clary?"

Again, Izzy's shoulders hunched. "Someone must have sent them for her. Maybe the knowledge of her power got out and someone thinks it a threat."

"Would Sebastian do this?"

"Sebastian doesn't want her dead," Isabelle pointed out.

Simon grinded his teeth. Great. So now someone else was after them on top of Clary's twisted, weirdo of a brother?

"Anything else?" He asked, praying that that was it. He didn't think he could take any more."

Isabelle's eyes grew wide and she turned her back on him. "You already know the last part," she said.

Simon's jaw clenched. "What is it?" and when she stayed quiet, he yelled, "tell me!"

A tear spilled down Isabelle's cheek. "Clary . . . she's dying, Simon."


	7. Death Knocking

Simon stared at Isabelle in shock. Yes, he'd thought that what she said might have been a possibility, but that's all it had been. It was a chance that Simon had refused to believe; accept. Clary couldn't just . . . she was a part of Simon and if she died, that bit of Simon would, too. But it would surely ruin Jace to lose her. The famous Shadowhunter, who'd been as solid and hard as a rock, crushed between Clary's hands, allowing her to see the real him. Only Clary could have done that. And if she was taken away from Jace, Simon knew that he would close himself off like a safe, never to be opened by anyone ever again.

"Are-that's not an option, Isabelle," Simon said, refusing to meet Izzy's eyes. He couldn't let that happen. _Wouldn't. _He owed everything to Clary, being best frineds since they were little, sleeping over at each other's houses, playing video games in his room, thinking up names for his ridiculous band . . .

And after all this happened. Shadowhunters. Nephilim. Monster slayers. Werewolves and Vampires. World end. All of it. Clary had helped him. Sure, he had become a Vampire in the process but it could have been worse . . . maybe. After all, it was because of Clary that Simon had met Isabelle. He would do anyhing if it meant to save his best friend's life.

"I'm just telling you what I know. There's venom-poison-in her, Simon," she whispered, pain in her voice.

Simon shot her a firm look. "You're telling me that after everything that has happened to us-to them-that there is no way to save her? Jace was brought back from the dead. twice. I can go into the sun without having my skin melted off. Clary can pull things out of _paper. _You honestly think that there's nothing we can do? That there's no loophole?" he hissed.

Isabelle crossed her arms, looking at the ground. "I don't know that much about it. All I am sure of is that those things were created to kill. I don't want to give anyone false hope."

"What about Magnus? Can he-"

"We don't know where he is. Ever since Alec, Magnus has been . . . distant. I haven't seen him and last I saw of Alec, he said Magnus was leaving."

Simon's hands were shaking and he clenched them into fists. "We have to find him," he said, voice as heavy and flat as the ground he stood on.

Isabelle shook her head. "And then what, Simon? What if he can't do anything? Magnus can't save us all the time. We can't depend on him to know all the answers."

"He may know more than us, though. He might be able to find a way to . . . stop this from happening to Clary."

"And he might not."

Sudden fury filled Simon as he looked at Izzy, the doubt so clear on her face that it made his heart pinch painfully in his chest. "Why!?" he yelled. "Why do you think that? Do you want her to die!? Is that it!? You want to see Jace lose her?" Simon could not believe he was yelling all this at Isabelle and, judging by her horrified expression, neither was she. He took a deep breath, guilt suddenly crashing over him. "Izzy, I didn't mean-"

"Of course I don't want anything bad to happen to her!" she shouted, stepping away from him, tears glistening in her eyes. "Especially this! But I know what it's like to hope just to have it crushed underfoot. It's so much worse, Simon! I don't want to live in false hope. I did that with Max, even after I knew he was gone and look where that has gotten me!" More tears spilled over Isabelle's cheeks and she quickly swiped them away. "Hope just makes it all the more harder, Simon."

Abruptly, he turned away, walking towards the entrance to Clary's building. "Jace deserved to know," Simon said. "He might have an idea of what to do. But I can't lose hope Iz," he looked back at her for a moment. "It's all I have right now."

* * *

Jace heard Simon before he entered, but didn't bother to register his presence. He felt too numb, unable to think clearly.

Clary was still curled up in a ball on the bed, but her screaming had finally subsided. Jace held her hand, stroking the back of it, trying to get his thoughts together. He needed to do something. Maybe there was-

"Jace?" Simon asked from behind him. "Can I talk to you?"

Jace clenched his jaw. "Sure."

"Out here?"

"I'm not leaving her." he said, squeezing her hand tighter in his.

Simon came over and stood beside him and Jace could taste the forboding feeling that settled over his stomach. "What is it?" he asked, not looking up to meet the Vampire's eyes.

He didn't answer. "Jocelyn?" he replied instead, locking gazes with Clary's mother who sat on the opposite side of her daughter's bed. "Could I please speak to Jace privately? It will only take a minute."

"I can't-" she began, but Simon interrupted. "Please? It's very important."

Finally with a reluctant nod, Jocelyn stood, kissing Clary's forehead before exiting the room and closing the door behind her.

"What is it?" Jace repeated, eyes still watching Clary's pale face, glistened with sweat.

Simon hesitated.

"Spit it out, Vamp," Jace hissed, running a hand through his golden hair.

Simon cleared his throat. "Izzy knows what's wrong with her," he said. "Or, at least, she thinks she does."

Jace whipped around to look at Simon, careful not to disturb Clary. "How would she know?" he demanded. "Why wouldn't she tell me?"

He could tell Simon felt incredibly uncomfortable and panicky which did nothing to reassure Jace.

"Isabelle said that the creatures that attacked you were . . . different. Altered."

"Altered?" Jace asked, anger and confusion writhing inside of him like a snake. "What do you mean?"

Simon explained what Isabelle had said, ignoring Jace's continuous protests and objections, probably voicing Simon's own thoughts. At the mention of Valentine, Jace felt the blood drain from his face, horrified by what Simon was telling him.

"The venom-poision or whatever is . . . " Simon's voice suddenly broke which made Jace tense all over. "Is what?" he asked, voice dangerously menacing. "_Is. What?" _

Simon took a deep breath. "It's what's killing her Jace."

Jace moved so fast that even Vampire Simon didn't look as if he saw it coming. Suddenly, Simon was pressed against the wall, Jace's arm jammed over his throat, holding him up. "Clary. Is. _Not. _Going. To die," he said, each word like a splinter in the air.

"That's why I need your help," Simon said, not gasping for air because-right-he didn't need it. "Help to save Clary."

Instantly, Jace pulled back his arm and looked at Vamp Boy darkly. "What do you need?"


	8. The Guard

"I swear, when I find that sparkly Warlock, I'm going to tie him up like the Disco ball he is," Jace brooded, his anger and panic hitting Simon and Isabelle in waves. Simon did not want to hear any more from the Shadowhunter after he'd complained all morning, trying to find Magnus. Now they sat on the curbed sidewalk below the Warlock's apartment, debating on other places Magnus could have gone. Jace's hands were knotted in fists, matching how Simon's stomach felt perfectly. He knew the Shadowhunter was thinking of Clary, pained that he had to leave her in order to help her. But that didn't mean it made it any easier to say goodbye.

Simon shook his head. No. He couldn't think about that now.

"Too bad Camille is dead," Isabelle muttered under her breath, "that would have been my next guess."

Simon turned to Izzy, blocking out the sound of Jace's grinding teeth. "Alec has no idea where he is?" he asked.

She shook her head. "Alec transfered to the London Institute before Magnus left," Izzy said. "I doubt Magnus would have had any reason to tell Alec where he was headed."

"Would Maureen know anything about him?" Jace suddenly piped in, looking at Simon.

But he shrugged. "Then we'd still need to find Maureen and she may not have any information for us."

"Well we have to figure _something _out!" Jace suddenly bellowed, jumping to his feet and running his hands through his hair. "I'm sick of just sitting here when we could be looking for him! I don't care where he is so long as he can help."

"We _are _trying to figure something out Jace," Izzy said in a soothing voice. "But yelling isn't going to do us any good."

"Do you think he's in Idris?" Simon asked suddenly, shifting gazes from Jace to Isabelle.

"Maybe," she said. "But we'd need to find a way to contact him and direct contact is kind of a risk-" Isabelle broke off at the expressions on Simon and Jace's face. "What?"

"Since when do you play by the rules, Iz?" Jace asked, his elbows on his knees.

"Yeah?" Simon added, crossing his arms.

Isabelle looked offended but ignored his question. "We still need to be approved to access him, dummies," she snapped.

The Vampire and Shadowhunter exchanged a glance, turning back on Isabelle. "Hey, Izzy, does that guard still have a crush on you?" Jace asked.

* * *

"Er . . . no offense, but I kind of expected you to bust out something a little bit cooler than this," Simon said a half-hour later, giving both Isabelle and Jace an accusing look. "I mean, really? A cell-phone?"

Izzy shot him one of her looks. "We still had to steal it from my mom. Doesn't that mount up to anything?" she asked.

Simon debated on that. "Not really," he concluded.

Jace crossed his arms over his chest. "Then you have not seen Maryse very angry before. Better pray you never have to," he added, sullenly.

"We still have to get permission to make direct contact with someone in Idris," Iz said, trying to flatten out the crumpled piece of paper on her knee, digits painted neatly across the center.

"I can't believe you kept the number," Simon said, an edge in his voice, "I thought you said you didn't like him."

She snorted. "The guy was a total creep, yeah. But I kept it as a just-in-case emergency," Iz said innocently.

Yeah, like _Isabelle _could be innocent. "Expecting many emergencies like these?" he asked, trying to quiet the hiss in his voice.

"Oh, will you two shut up?" Jace decided to intervene then, shooting them both a glare. "Izzy, call the guy before Maryse notices that her phone has taken a little detour."

Izzy narrowed her gaze at him and snatched the phone out of his hand, her fingers flying across the numbers. She held it up to her ear, tapping her foot impatiently.

"Hello?" Izzy asked on the third ring, her voice now sing-song like melted honey.

Simon knew the guy was toast.

"Yes, this is me!" she said, inserting false enthusiasm into her tone. Suddenly, she looked at Simon and Jace, sending them both a glare and waving her hand at them to give her a little privacy.

Jace rolled his eyes as he sauntered away, Simon a little bit more reluctant to leave.

She _was _faking the pleasure in her voice, right?

"I'm great and you?" she continued, still sending Simon that look that told him if he wanted to keep his fangs straight, he'd better leave.

Slowly, he walked over to Jace, still listening in on Isabelle's conversation. "Uh, yeah. Hey listen, Arlim, I need a bit of a favor . . . "

"Don't you think it's a little unprofessional to keep a phone on you during work?" Simon asked Jace who was leaning against the wall of some run down building, ignoring the tightening in his stomach. Like it mattered what Simon felt if this was going to help Clary. He'd deal with it. But he couldn't deny how distasteful the guard sounded-no pun intended.

Jace sighed. "Who said he was a professional?" he challenged with a shrug.

Simon bit his lip, deciding to change the subject. "You think he'll be in Idris?" he asked, hoping that this time Jace would whip out his over-confidence and do his super-hero pose and insure Simon that Magnus would be there.

Not that Jace really had a super-man pose-and if he did, Simon would probably laugh-but he still wanted to hear confidence in the Shadowhunter's voice again.

But he only he hung his head. "I really don't know, Simon," he whispered, and Simon could hear the pain in Jace's tone. "If he's not, then we will keep looking. This was my fault. I'm not stopping until I can make it better. Make Clary better."

The Vampire looked at Jace, surprised that he was telling him this. "It wasn't your fault. Stuff like this just happens."

Jace gave him a cynical look. "Hybrids are just let loose to attack someone and kill them? Stuff like that _doesn't _just _happen, _Simon."

"In our world it does. But that doesn't mean you should blame yourself."

"But I took her out-" he began, but Simon interrupted him.

"And if she had gone out without you?" he challenged, eyebrows raising. "Jace, if you hadn't been there, Clary would probably be dead," he flinched at the word. "At least now, we have hope."

"I'm scared to hope," Jace whispered, so low that even Simon wasn't sure if he'd heard him correctly. The Vampire took a deep, unnecessary breath. "She'll make it through this. Clary's strong enough."

The pain and anguish in Jace's eyes made Simon look away. Jace seemed different all of a sudden. It frightened Simon to see the guy who'd been a part of such horror and still remain steadfast now appear so . . . vulnerable. "And what if she's not?"

For that, Simon had no answer.


	9. The Death of Hope

Isabelle's foot tapped gently against the pavement, waiting for the other line to pick up. Simon and Jace stood around her, each of them praying that Magnus would pick up on the other line. Arlim had so graciously given away that the Warlock had passed through Idris and was, with any luck, still there. Isabelle guessed he was lounging on a couch watching reruns of _Gilligan's Island _with his cat.

Ah, the joys of heartbreak.

"C'mon," she chided quietly, listening to the redundant beep that indicated that the line was still ringing. Even if they found Magnus, would he even help them? If he knew as much as they did, they would be stuck. Clary would get worse. Answers would be harder to find . . .

The line disconnected.

"Ugh! She yelled in frustration, nearly hurling the phone at the wall but stopping when she remembered that her mother would kill her if she did. "Great," she said sarcastically. "Just great. Magnus is probably already gone. So what's the plan now?"

Jace bit his lip. "He definitely didn't go to Peru, that's for sure," he said, but his voice was hard and edgy.

"Can we go to any other warlock?" she asked, "Maybe the Silent Brothers can-"

"Do nothing," Jace interrupted. "Jocelyn already tried. And you know just as well as I that Warlocks don't much fancy the idea of helping out Shadowhunters. Besides," he added, "Magnus has had more experience and is most-likely to know something than any of the others."

A hopeless silence fell over them then, Isabelle hating herself for how much hope she'd actually allow to grow in her. Now it was wilting away as their options disappeared, leaving them with practically nothing. "You're still adamant that Sebastian had anything to do with this, aren't you, Jace?" she asked, glancing up to meet his golden eyes. He shook his head. "You said he didn't want her dead. So why he would send those . . . things after her is beyond me."

"Maybe he changed his mind," she said. "It does kind of sound like something he would do. What his father did." She was very careful not to use the word 'Valentine.'

Jace sighed, thinking. "Sebastian may be a neurotic psychopath in desperate need of counseling and imprisonment, but it's not that easy to change his mind. But I still think it was someone else. You said you were young when you saw those creatures so either Sebastian was playing Mad Scientist at an early age or someone else was already performing those experiments or whatever you want to call them."

Simon was silent throughout this and Isabelle wondered if he'd lost his hope like she had. "What now?" she asked hesitantly.

Jace shrugged. "We go back to Clary's, I guess. Maybe there's been some improvement," he said, but Isabelle knew what a long shot that was and kept quiet.

* * *

Clary entire being was screaming at her. Her muscles ached, her breaths were ragged, and she felt her will seeping out of her by the hour. The hallucinations had tampered down a bit and she could make out her mom's panicked face; could even manage a few words of comfort, but the darkness kept sucking her back in and pushing her back out like a yo-yo.

She kept looking around for Jace, calling out to him, but her mother had informed Clary that Jace was out looking for help. She prayed that he would find it but if worse came to worst, she wanted him here with her, holding his hand.

She didn't know how much time had past when she heard a new pair of feet enter and, as if her prayers had been answered, Jace wandered over to her, looking desperate and helpless. She saw rings under his eyes and vaguely wondered how long it had been since the last time he'd slept. In the background, Clary saw her mom and made an imperceptible gesture to go and leave them alone for a bit. Jocelyn, looking just as tired, nodded and left, closing the door behind them. Jace took a seat in her mother's chair, looking down at her with longing and sorrow as if he'd failed her.

"Hey," he said, grabbing her hand tightly in his. "How're you feeling?"

Not wanting to cause him any more pain, Clary shrugged which just made her wince. Her neck wasn't swollen but it was still a hideous sight, even with the bandage. Red and just gross.

"Better," she lied through her teeth, praying he didn't see straight through her.

But this was Jace. He _always _saw through her. He shook his head, appalled. "I'm so sorry, Clary," he said, his voice breaking.

Clary gave him the hardest look she could muster, staring into his face. "You better not-blame yourself f-for t-this," she said, her voice cracking due to the pain and heavy with exhaustion. "It's not-your f-fault."

He looked as if she'd just sucker punched him right in the gut, hearing her voice so brittle and . . . dead. The thought sent shivers down her spine.

"It is my fault, Clary," he said, and she saw the tears pooling in the eyes of the boy who never cried. "If I'd-"

"I still would-would have g-gone, Jace," she said, squelching the urge to whimper. "I love-loved it." And then, as if an after thought she added, "I love you," and her voice didn't even break this time.

Then one of his tears fell down his cheek as he laid his head against her and she ran her hands through his hair soothingly. She thought of things to say that would help but nothing came to mind. They just stayed that way for a long time, embraced in each other's arms.

* * *

Isabelle sat outside, the evening crisp and cool as she sat on the sidewalk with a paper in hand, trying to think of every possibility that could help Clary. So far all she had was **REACH MAGNUS **but she had scribbled that out. The rest of the paper was blank.

In a sudden fury, Isabelle stood up and crumpled the paper, hurling it into the street along with the pencil. How could things have gotten so bad all of a sudden? Over _night_? Everything was wrong, wrong, wrong. Alec was no longer with them, Magnus was gone, Jace still had his Fire problem, and now Clary was . . .

She gulped. She knew the life of a Shadowhunter was not supposed to be easy. Hey, she didn't _want _easy, she just wanted _possible. _

Which none of this seemed to be.

And that was just inside her little social circle. Outside, there was still psychotic brothers and dead not-fathers, and the confusing Clave and it all seemed like too much for any family to handle. Not to mention the death of one of them that had really been hard on everybody.

And now all of _this _had to happen.

Izzy knew that if Clary died, she'd lose Jace forever, even possibly Simon as well. She couldn't bear to lose any more people. Isabelle had already lost too much and she was willing to fight.

But _who _to fight was the question she kept asking herself. Faults were everywhere. She couldn't just go and set flame to all the people that have caused her and her family harm. Nope. That was Sebastian's job and she refused to have anything in common with him.

She screamed in frustration, almost making it impossible for her to hear her mother's phone buzz in her pocket.

_ALEC _was the caller ID.

She flipped it open, waiting for Alec's voice to appear, but it wasn't his. The voice belonged to . . .

"I'm gone for a few weeks and already things have fallen apart. What is it now, Isabelle?"

Magnus had stayed in Idris after all.


	10. Broken Truths

"Jace," Simon said, entering Clary's room quietly, giving the Shadowhunter an intense look that made Jace instantly alert. Simon pointed to the window, gesturing him to follow the Vampire outside. Jace shook his head, unable to bear leaving Clary's side again. But Simon's mouthed the word 'Magnus' and Jace regretfully released Clary's hand, prying his fingers from hers since she was asleep.

They hurried with blurring speed down the stairs and through the entrance, meeting up with Isabelle who hopped from one foot to the other, eager for them to hurry up. Abruptly, Jace held out the phone and she handed it over without a fight.

Jace put it against his ear. "Magnus, we need your help," he said, trying to keep his tone calm. He heard the Warlock sigh from the other end. "Yes, I heard. Isabelle informed me of the recent events and I must say that you lot have degraded my past assistances," he droned. "I mean, really, Jace. You have nearly fallen apart without me."

Jace swallowed the urge to hiss a retort. "Forget that, Magnus. Isabelle told you about the hybrids?" he asked.

"Yes. And now you want my help yet again in hopes that I have some way of curing her?" The Warlock's voice appeared exasperated but before Jace had time to ignore it, he continued. "A sticky, sticky situation you've thrown yourself into, Jace. But I cannot deny how flattered I am that you thought to propose this question to me," he said. "Or is that only because I work for practically nothing?"

"Do you know anything or not?" Jace asked, irritation creeping into his tone as he overheard the introduction song to _Gilligan's Island. _

"Alright, alright. Don't get your Blades in a twist," he said. "I can only imagine what condition you're in over this, Jace. Fortunately, I do know a little about the creatures you are referring to. What, with my experience," he added with a hint of pride but then became serious. "Isabelle was correct when she guessed about their DNA being spliced from Lycanthropy and Vampire. Bad combination. If you hadn't already gotten mixed up with them, I would have recommended you avoid the creatures at all costs," he said. "But since you did not . . . "

"Is there an antidote?" Jace inquired, desperate. "A cure? _What does she need?_"

Magnus sighed again. "I know the result of the few victims that have been recorded and you won't like it, Jace."

"Why were they sent?" Jace switched topics automatically, not wanting to hear the specifics on Clary's condition. "One said that 'he wants her alive.' What does that mean? Sebastian?"

Jace could practically hear Magnus's thoughts swimming around his head. "We know Sebastian doesn't want her dead, but I wouldn't be so rash as to discard the possibility, just in case he's using it to hide his tracks."

"Hide his tracks?" Jace asked instantly, his grip on the phone tightening.

"Clary's death would be the last thing the Clave would expect so automatically, they will transfer their suspicions to someone else. Someone innocent."

Jace digested this, ignoring Simon and Isabelle's anxious faces hovering so close to his own. "So what do we do?" he asked, hating the question the moment it slipped from his tongue. It wasn't often he had to ask for help but when he did, it left a bitter taste in his mouth.

"Jace . . . " the Warlock began, but trailed off.

"What is it?"

"The problem with Clary . . . " Magnus began again. "The creatures are venemous. The spliced DNA caused some weird defect. I don't mean to get all sciency on you, but the venom enhances tissue. transforms them. The victims . . . they weren't strong enough-

"So what are you saying, Magnus?" Jace hissed, his voice poisonous. "What will happen?"

There was silence on the other end for a few moments before the Warlock's voice picked back up, hesitant and worried. "None of them survived, Jace. Bu then again, Clary's not your basic Shadowhunter, either. She's strong."

Hope blossomed in Jace's chest but he pressed it down immediately. "So, there's a possibility that she'll pull through this?" but when Magnus's voice didn't appear, anger made Jace's hands clench. "What will happen, Magnus?"

He heard him let out a breath. "I . . . don't really know, Jace. There's a slim chance that the venom just has to work its way out of her system or that it will . . . morph and multiply and cause . . . changes."

"What kind of changes?" Jace growled, stepping away from Isabelle and Simon who up until then had been keeping quiet but who were now mouthing off questions.

_What does he mean by 'enhanced?' _Simon asked.

_Ask him how he knows all this, _Isabelle said.

_What about the cure? What is it you won't like? _The Vampire continued.

_Shut up, Simon. I want to know how he has this information, _Izzy mouthed. _Maybe whoever he got it from can help us. _

Jace gave them a hard look that told them to zip it as he waited for Magnus's answer.

"It's only a guess, Jace. Maybe it will be a positive result concluding in agility, speed or . . .negative results such as hostility and violence."

Jace locked his jaw at that. "So what? She'll turn bad?"

"Possibly but . . . there's more, Jace."

"What?" he snapped. _What else can there be?_

"Her heart rate," began the Warlock, his tone actually frightening Jace. "It's lowering. Either it will steadily decrease all the way until the Lycanthropy part of her kicks in or . . . it will stop altogether."

Jace nearly dropped the phone.

He couldn't reply, just continued to suck in a breath as Isabelle and Simon gave him horrified looks. Before he could lose his courage, Jace asked the question that was burning him alive. "So her heart will stop regardless?" he asked, his voice rough and hard.

"Yes."

"And it _might _start again, but there's a chance it won't?"

"Yes," Magnus said and his voice was full of sorrow. "I'm sorry, Jace. But Clary _is _going to die."

**Alright. So I mentioned on my other Fan Fiction that I needed to write more of these captions at the bottom (Author's Note or whatever) so here it is. Hope you enjoyed the chapter. Sorry it's short, but at least I update quite a bit:) Please R&R! Next chapter will be up soon. And I will start giving out the following chapter titles ahead of time. So, chapter 11 will be called: _When Time Has Stopped. _**


	11. When Time Has Stopped

Simon felt the tension emanate off of Jace as if it were a tangible thing. He watched anxiously as the Shadowhunter tried to take deep, calming breaths but he had also seen the blood drain from Jace's face and heard his heartbeat begin to thud violently in his chest. And Simon's would be hammering in unison if it were able to, but he had to settle for feeling a cold chill creep down his spine, accompanied by such panic that he felt as if he were having an asthma attack at the thought of loosing Clary.

Forever.

Isabelle appeared shocked but not as severely as Jace was, still clutching the phone as if it was the only thing keeping him anchored to this world. If he lost Clary he would be cut free . . . and who was to say where he'd sink to?

Simon paced back and forth, trying to keep himself together. He knew that they'd have to tell Jocelyn. But the thought of having to tell his best friend's mother that her daughter was going to die made his stomach clench and his heart pinch. She was going to get through this, though. She was strong enough. It would be an insult to Clary to believe anything different; anything _less. _

Because Clary was the toughest person Simon knew. She fought for what she wanted and no way would she be so willing to leave Jace. She would always find a way to get back to that Shadowhunter, however cold and hard and Vampire-like as Simon he seemed to be.

Simon held his hand out for the phone and he watched as Jace numbly handed it over. "Magnus," Simon said, insuring that the Warlock was still on the other line and hadn't hung up.

"Yes, my boy-turned rat-turned Vampire friend?" he asked, but Simon could still hear the sadness in his tone.

"Do you think we should tell Jocelyn about this?" He knew that it was unavoidable but still-if he could just prolong the inevitable; just stretch it out for a few more hours to give her some hope . . .

"Yes," he said. "Jocelyn needs to know what to expect. She needs to be . . . prepared."

Simon heard Jace's breath catch on that.

"Alright. Stay on the line though, okay?"

Time to tell Jocelyn.

* * *

"I will not let that happen!" Clary's mother yelled, tears running down her white face, Luke grasping firmly on her hand as if to keep her erect. "I can't-That's my baby-"

They stood in their living room, circled around Jocelyn as she cried. Simon felt Jocelyn's helplessness and denial but after he'd told her everything Magnus had relaid, nobody knew how to comfort her. They all kept quiet other than Jace who was upstairs with Clary and Isabelle who was now on the phone with Magnus in the kitchen, trying to get anything else out of the Warlock.

"There has to be something-" she sobbed, "We need to do-"

"We will," Simon said, his voice full of confidence. "There's always a way."

"Clary's strong," Luke said, sharing Simon's thoughts out loud. "This may not even affect her."

"And if it does?" Jocelyn glowered, pulling her hands free from Luke's and wrapping them around herself. "She's still just a young girl! She could still-"

"No," both Luke and Simon said at the same time. Then Luke came forward and kneeled before Jocelyn. "We are going to do everything we can to help her, Jocelyn. We've beaten odds after odds these last few months. You have to have a little faith."

But Simon knew that they were all voicing the same possibility in their head. _What if the odds were no longer in their favor? _

* * *

"Jace?" Jocelyn's voice appeared, thick from tears, near the door, her head peeking through. Jace, feeling his throat close up as he looked from Clary's pale form, turned to Jocelyn.

"Isabelle wants to see us downstairs," she whispered.

It was is if a jagged knife was cutting into Jace's heart as he stepped away from Clary and followed Jocelyn, Clary's mother lingering by the door a few seconds longer before descending the small flight of stairs and towards the little living room. Once there, Jace's eyes abruptly sought out Isabelle's and a dead weight seemed to fall in his stomach at her white face.

Simon was standing near Luke who walked stiffly over to Jocelyn and placed an arm around her waist, whispering something that Jace could not hear. He turned to face his adopted sister. "Alright, Izzy," he said, voice heavy with emotion. "Tell us what Magnus said."

Isabelle seemed hesitant to answer, fiddling with her fingers as she refused to meet their eyes. "He said he thinks Sebastian sent them," she said, careful not to even glance over at Jocelyn who sucked in a breath. "But why?" she asked. "You told me Johnathan did not want Clary to . . . " her voice trailed off and she pursed her lips.

"Right," she said. "Which is why we think that they weren't after Clary to kill her. . . but were after Jace."

Jace felt his stomach flip. Sure, it was a viable possibility, but that just proved how much of this was his fault. If those things _had _been after him, then Clary had taken the hit. And if she died . . . it would all be because of him. "What else?" he asked, voice cold and distant.

Isabelle took in a deep breath. "Magnus thinks that Sebastian didn't want to kill you but . . . wanted to use you."

"Of course," Jace said bitterly. "For as evil as he is, his imagination is kind of redundant, wouldn't you say?"

Isabelle ignored him and continued. "You were stronger, Jace. The other victims . . . weren't. With the DNA enhancement, he wanted you to lead the others to the downfall of all Shadowhunters." Her tone was flat and empty. "You know how hard those creatures were to beat. Clary had managed to kill one but you said the other got away, right?"

He nodded.

"They're strong and fast and actually have intelligence."

Did he say who started these . . . monsters?" Jace bit out, his hands clenched tightly at his side.

Isabelle nodded. "He's dead now. Magnus called him Mortmain. Said he was the first to create a human enhancement. Theresa Grey."

The name rang some dim familiarity in Jace but he couldn't place it right then. He took in a deep breath. "Who started _these? _" he asked.

Izzy hunched her shoulders. "Magnus told me that he was the one who had the idea in the first place but that-"

"_Magnus _started the idea?" Jace asked, his voice incredulous. "Why didn't he say anything? Doesn't he know who created them?"

"Does he know of anyone else who can help us?" Jocelyn cut in, giving Isabelle a desperate look who sighed. "Jace . . . " she said. "Magnus knows who created them but . . . he's deceased, too."

"Who?" he asked, but a part of him already knew the answer.

Isabelle took another breath. "Valentine."

* * *

(**Alright, now originally, I would stop the chapter right here because hey, it's a cliff-hanger, but due to a recent request . . . well, let's keep it going!)**

Jace sucked in another breath, feeling as if his lungs might implode at any second. Valentine had screwed with Jace's life so many times-had even _ended _it once. And now-even after the man was _dead-_he had managed to hit Jace in his weakest spot. Still had power over him.

He grinded his teeth and locked his jaw with bone-crushing force.

"Valentine?" Jocelyn asked, horrified. Jace felt the same, clouding the inside of his stomach and mind. It took him a moment to remember to breathe. "How do we destroy them?" Simon suddenly asked, taking a step closer to Isabelle. She bit her lip. "It's like a beehive. Kill the queen and the others die without her."

"So then there's a big one?" Simon asked in simpler terms. Isabelle nodded.

"Would that affect Clary?" Jace asked, tone hushed.

"Probably not. It's not as if they all have an internal expiration date. Sebastian would call that a huge flaw."

"And having everything depend on one thing as a life-source is?" he asked.

Isabelle just shrugged.

"So . . . if we kill that-"

"It's just his theory. You might just be killing the oldest one and get a lot of pissed off creatures as a result. Magnus knows the creatures. He doesn't know the plan or what Sebastian has done to change his idea."

"How many are there?" Luke asked who had been keeping quiet up until this point.

"Not too many. They're powerful so not huge numbers are necessary. Magnus thinks . . . " Izzy trailed off which only increased the tension. "He says he thinks that Sebastian is planning an attack on Idris. The creatures can make it through undetected, Jace."

Jace rubbed his temples. What had just been a rescue mission on saving the girl he loved life, suddenly turned into an all out end-of-race massacre. Suddenly, Jace looked at Isabelle, a hard expression lining his forehead. "What else?" he asked.

"That's all Magnus suspected. It could be all wrong."

"Great," Jace said, overcome with an abrupt bout of exhaustion.

Then Simon walked towards Jace and leaned down. "You need to get some rest," he said. "We'll make a plan in the morning."

Jace made an irritated noise. "Like I could actually sleep."

"It will be of no help if you're dead on your feet," Luke injected, tightening his hold on Jocelyn but his gaze was firm. Finally, Jace nodded. "I'll be upstairs," he said as he darted up the flight and into Jocelyn's room where Clary was. She was still asleep, but the crease between her brows made Clary tense.

He laid gently atop the covers, his eyes never leaving the closed lids of Clary's. He wished he could see the vivid greens of her eyes as he rested his head near hers. His hand rubbed gently against her cheek soothingly. "You'll come back to me," he said. And he drifted off to sleep.

* * *

Jace awoke not much later, a feeling of wrongness settling over him. He looked over at Clary who was still curled beside him, her hand resting on his.

But it was cold_. _Not the clammy kind of cold that came with being sick. This was just _cold. _

Sudden panic and terror seized Jace's stomach and heart as he grasped for her hand, wanting to feel its steady beat beneath his fingers.

But he couldn't find it.

And from the coldness of her body, in his horror, Jace could tell that its steady rythm had been stilled for quite some time.

**A show that I watch owns the idea for the hybrid, just to let you know. But what did you think? The end of this chapter made _me _****tense. Let me know if you want me to keep going. R&R PLEASE! Oh, and the next chapter title will be called: Taken**


	12. Taken

_No. No. No. No. No. No. No. NO, _Jace's mind screamed as he tried to think of what to do. He couldn't breathe. It was as if every cord inside him had just been cut and now, he was dangling above a black precipice, soon to be dropped into it its depths to who knew where.

How long was it supposed to take for her heart to regenerate? Was it already too late?

Jace's entire body was shaking violently as he looked down at her, the crease between her eyebrows gone-finally at peace.

A sudden sob appeared in Jace's throat as he choked on the realization that Clary was-

"No, Clary," he begged her, clutching her body to his chest. "Please. No, no, no. You can _not _leave me," he told her, trying to inject a firmness into his tone but instead it just sounded like pathetic begging to his own ears. "Clary!" He yelled at her, the sobs racking in his chest finally spilling out.

He was vaguely aware of the others entering, heard Jocelyn scream, Simon's breathing, Luke's weeping, but it all seemed very far away. Maybe this was him falling into the blackness of that precipice. No-he'd launched himself off in the hopes that it would end this pain.

And Jace had felt pain before-thought he knew the very definition. But this was . . . something that shouldn't exist. It was as if half of his body had been cut but he still couldn't die. He felt nothing except a sucking black void in the pit of his stomach, threatening to turn him into dust.

It just wasn't turning him fast enough.

"It's not supposed to be taking this long!" Isabelle cried, tears streaming down her face as she clutched the phone to her ear, yelling what was happening to Magnus on the other line.

Did this mean that she was really gone?

Jace's world was cracking, fissures erupting over the surface, sharding off in his hands as he stared at Clary, vision blurry. He hadn't taken his eyes off her the entire time, scared that if he looked away, she'd disappear.

Would he ever see her vibrant green eyes looking up at him again? Feel her lips against his? Hear her tell him how much she loved him? He hadn't even gotten a chance to say goodbye. How could he have? What words were there to describe what she was to him?

It was selfish, but a part of Jace-a very large part-wished he'd died all those times before and stayed dead. Because then he wouldn't have to be living through this torment, begging the girl he loved to come back to him again.

This was one place he couldn't follow her.

"What is Magnus saying?" Simon roared at Isabelle, the voices appearing like irritating buzzes in Jace's ears.

"He said she should-should've come ba-back by now!" Isabelle yelled, pummeling Magnus with question after question, trying to find a loophole in all this.

But Jace knew that there would never always be a way, like Simon had said. He'd heard a quote that said all good things had to come to an end. He thought the line was stupid. Good things were good because they _didn't _end. Weren't supposed to. Wherever Clary was, he knew she would be happy. True, when Jace had died it had felt as if he were drifting in a stream of shadows and he cried harder imagining Clary there, floating, waiting for him. But surely Clary was someplace better. Someplace brighter.

"Magnus, do something!" Jace heard Simon shout into the phone's receiver as he walked, grief-stricken, back and forth in front of Jocelyn. Clary's mother was crying on the opposite side of the bed, holding Clary's hand. Luke stood behind her, his palms resting on her shoulders.

This was all Jace's fault. Gilt and dread swirled around sickeningly in his mind, the little shoulder-voices fighting each other to the death.

This was the end.

"Jace!" Isabelle suddenly called, but he forgot how to use his lips and make words push through. What was the point? There was just nothing now.

"Jace, Magnus has another theory!"

Her words crawled into his mind so slowly, that Jace had to resound them out in his mind before he understood them. "No stupid theory can fix this, Isabelle," he said, his voice barely audible as he rocked Clary back and forth, her head lolling against his arm.

"He men-mentioned it last night, but I did-didn't w-want to say anything," she said, her voice breaking due to the tears. Jocelyn had quieted her sobs to overhear what Isabelle had to say and Jace could practically feel the hope ignite in her eyes. Anger lapped against Jace and he suddenly wanted to explode. "There are no more theories!" he shouted. "That's it! It's over! This is _my _fault so just stop trying to-" his voice broke off as another sob broke free, the realization weighing him down like a rock at sea. "This is my fault," he whispered, clutching Clary so tightly and crying harder than he ever had in his entire life. He'd known it was his fault, but to be suddenly hit with the acceptance that the girl he loved was dead because of _him _crushed whatever battle he had left.

Then, as if things couldn't get any worse, Jocelyn came over and put and arm around his shoulders, the other one around Clary. "Jace, this is _not _your fault," she said, her voice thick and heavy with the tears she'd cried. "You can't-you can't blame yourself. My daughter would kill you if she knew that," she added. It brought Jace the hint of a smile which quickly dissolved into more sobs.

"She loved you, Jace," Jocelyn continued, squeezing his shoulder. Jace knew that more tears were collecting in her eyes as well. "I'm so sorry that I was so adamant on not accepting that."

The room was silent other than the sounds of quiet weeping, Jace unable to speak or think coherently. His mind was on reruns of the memories with Clary, whispering her name over and over in his head.

Then Isabelle spoke again, her voice hushed. "Jace," she said hesitantly, "Magnus doesn't think that she's dead."

* * *

"_What?" _Jace asked against his better judgement, knowing that Magnus was either trying for false hope or was just too intoxicated to realize what he was saying.

But Isabelle nodded. "He still has his beehive theory and he told this to me last time, but I didn't want to say because it would take time that we didn't have-"

"What did he say, Isabelle?" Simon asked, his tone filled with pure menace.

She cleared her throat. "Well, it's possible that in order to kill the others, we'd need to-"

"Kill Sebastian," Jace finished, his voice jagged like broken glass.

"Yeah."

"And if we don't?" Simon inquired, crossing his arms.

Isabelle suddenly appeared very small, which was a hard thing for her to look. "Then they'll breach Idris. Magnus doesn't know what will happen to Clary though."

"But she's-" Jocelyn spoke then stopped abruptly.

"No she's not, Jocelyn," Isabelle said.

As if to help prove Izzy's point, Jace looked down at Clary, watching as her hand slowly, maddeningly, moved slightly.

He caught his breath.

Clary was alive.

**So, what did you guys think? I'm trying to make the chapters longer but it's kind of hard. Hoped you liked it! Please R&R! Chapter 13's title: Changes **


	13. Conclusions

**Alright. First I want to apologize for taking so long with this update. I have been having computer problems (technology doesn't like me) so please forgive me on that. This chapter is not long but at least I managed to get it up today. Thanks for reading!**

"So she's a Vampire now?" Simon asked, an eyebrow raised as he exchanged a look with Isabelle. He stood in the kitchen with her and Jace who he had to practically pry out of Clary's room in order to discuss what was happening to her. Yes, he felt like kneeling on the floor and thanking all that was good and pure in the world that she was alive, but they were still in the same predicament they had been earlier that day.

Isabelle shook her head. "I don't think so," she said, toying with a strand of her dark hair.

"You don't know?" Jace asked, voice incredulous as he looked at his sister. "Call Magnus," he instructed.

"I did. He said she shouldn't be a Vampire or Lycanthropy. Said that maybe since she's stronger, her response was different then that of the others."

"What does that mean?" Simon and Jace asked at the same time, exchanging a smirk.

Izzy sighed. "I don't know! I know about as much as you, but what we have to discuss is what we are going to do about the changes."

"What kind of effects will this have on her?" Simon asked, crossing his arms over his chest.

"I told you. Strength, agility, supersenses . . . Imagine combining your skill with Maia, Simon," Izzy said, but her nose scrunched at the mention of Maia with her boyfriend.

"How bad will this be?" Jace asked, his face still red from crying, his stance tense. Simon knew that if he ever mentioned Jace's crying scene ever, that the Shadowhunter would tear him apart.

Isabelle bit her lip. "Hard to say. Even Magnus doesn't know the exact outcome."

"Will her ..." Jace began, swallowing once before quickly saying, "will her diet be the same?"

Izzy gave him one of her looks that had Simon training his eyes on his feet. "Well she's not going to try and suck your blood as you're sucking face if that's what you're worried about." she said.

She was rewarded by one of Jace's famous glares.

"But how will going after Sebastian help Clary?" Simon asked, eyebrows furrowed.

Isabelle placed her fingers on her temples, rubbing small circles into the skin. "Don't you listen? I said it _might _be a beehive effect and Sebastian may not even be the 'Queen.'"

"Then who is?" Jace hissed. "Valentine is dead and the Clave wouldn't have missed this level of activity unless it were Sebastian. Frankly, I don't care who it is. I just need to know how to fix Clary!"

"Magnus has a theory-"

"Of course," Jace interrupted.

-"But I won't do it."

"What's the theory?" Jace asked.

"You won't go for it," Isabelle insisted.

"What is it?!"

Isabelle crossed her arms as well. "Do you want to be the one to shoot Clary with a silver bullet or shall I?"

* * *

"You're going to be okay, Baby," Clary heard her mother's calming voice, but she could also catch the weight of it due to a recent cry. "You're going to be fine."

But Clary didn't _feel _fine. In fact, she felt like the dead. Empty. Drained. But the searing pain at least, had finally subsided, allowing her to breathe without feeling like a human torch. She also felt cold but she felt a thrumming sensation that could only be caused by adrenaline. But that couldn't be right.

"You'll be okay," her mother continued to chide to her, not even appearing like the fierce Shadowhunter Clary had just recently known her to be. Her face was red, her eyes puffy, tears still leaking out of the corners. It was not an encouraging sight.

"Where's Jace?" she asked, shifting ever so slightly to face her mother.

"Downstairs. He needed to talk with Isabelle and Simon for a minute."

"Luke?"

"Here," Luke said, coming up behind Jocelyn, a worried expression plastered to his face. Clary's shoulders relaxed slightly but she was still tense due to the absence of Jace.

"What happened?" She asked, noting the height of tension that was so thick, Clary felt as if she could cut it.

"Nothing," her mother said, patting down Clary's hair in reassurance. "Just a little scare."

_Little? Yeah, right, _Clary thought bitterly, but chose not to press on. She'd find out soon enough. "What are they talking about downstairs?" she asked, but the question wasn't really necessary because then, she could _hear _them, two floors beneath her feet.

"_NO!" _Clary instantly recognized the voice as Jace's, low and firm. _"That's not an option, Isabelle."_

_"Too soon, huh?" _Clary heard Isabelle reply.

_"In twenty years, it will still be too soon, Isabelle," _Jace said and Clary could hear the darkness and utter seriousness of his tone.

_"Sorry."_

_"So are we going after Sebastian or what?" _Simon said, making Clary freeze. Um, _what _were they going to do?

_"I still don't see how that will help Clary," _Jace said.

_"If Magnus's theory is wrong then it's a possibility that Sebastian may have an antidote." _

_"Or we could start at the root of things and begin at the Hybrids," _Simon suggested, muddling Clary's brain further. What Hybrids?

_"Most logical thing you've said all night, Vamp," _Jace said. _"Alright, so when do we leave?" _

Comprehension dawned on Clary and before she could register what she was doing, she suddenly shouted, "No!," making her mother freeze and Luke's eyes widen. It only took a few seconds before Jace came barging through the door, immediately meeting Clary's steady gaze. She locked her jaw, ignoring the pain that throbbed dully in her neck. "If you're going Jace Lightwood, then I'm going, too."


	14. Tracks

"There is no possible way, Clarissa, that you are coming," Jace said before giving Clary enough time to say what she wanted.

"Yes, I am," she said, her tone matter-of-fact and indignant, yet still frail.

Jace rubbed his temples. Why couldn't she just listen? She had no idea what he'd just gone through and now she wanted to put herself, once again, at greater risk for what? Yes, Clary had to live twice thinking that Jace was dead and once when he was who-knew-where while being possessed by a psycho. So okay, she had an idea of what he'd endured. But still, she wasn't coming, not if he had anything to say about it.

And he had a lot to say.

"No," Jocelyn hissed.

"No, you're not. You're in no condition to come, Clary," Jace said, crossing his arms like he did when he was sure he was going to win.

He saw Clary lock her jaw. "What can you really do about it?" she challenged, raising her eyebrows. "You wouldn't really resort to locking me up here until you got back."

"I would resort to shackling both your hands and feet and chaining you down to this bed if it meant keeping you here," he said. He would _not _let her come. Wouldn't. No. This would be a conversation she would lose.

"But you aren't going to do that," she said. "Besides, I don't really need anyone as a guide..." Clary trailed off, waiting for Jace to catch the hint.

"You aren't going off alone!" He shouted then cursed.

"Jace is right, Clary," Jace heard Jocelyn say. He momentarily wondered how often he'd get to hear those words from her. He guessed not often.

Clary bit her lip, a determined look plastered to her face. "Risks are a part of who we are, Mom," she said. "I'm a Shadowhunter. I won't just sit back and watch everyone I love get hurt while I'm...bedridden."

"Then go sit on a couch," Jace said, the note of anger in his voice easily detected.

Clary shot him a hard look. "I'm going."

Jace cut a glance at Jocelyn who seemed to be fighting her own battle on this. "Clary, I don't-"

"Don't what, Mom?" Clary said, turning on her mother. Jace could tell that she was sick of having these conversations with her.

"You can tell me not to go, but I'm still going to. I'm not disobeying anything. I'm doing what I was meant for."

"Clarissa Fray," Jocelyn began again, but stopped, all the while leaving Jace in anticipation who would agree with Jocelyn on anything at this point, so long as it meant keeping Clary _here. _

But Jocelyn said nothing. After all, what did one say to that?

"Then it's settled," Clary said, a look of triumph and satisfaction highlighting her facial expression.

But Jace was still...well, Jace, so of course, he wasn't letting it end here. "No, Clary! Just please, stay here."

She shook her head, her long red hair flying every which way. "What is it going to be Jace? Either let me come with you where you can keep an eye on me, or have me come by myself?"

Fury ignited from inside Jace's stomach. Right, he thought. This was Clary. He no longer got to win.

* * *

"It happened here," Clary said, casting wary glances at the mouth of the alleyway that stood before them. It still looked the same, but now there seemed to be something...dark about the place. Creepy. It didn't help that a patch of Clary's blood still stained a part of the cracked street that she had little trouble making out. She'd almost died here. Automatically, Clary touched her neck where a bandage had been sealed in the place of the jagged mark.

"So what's the plan?" Simon asked, looking at everyone expectantly. "Tie a rope around Jace and dangle him from a building as bait?"

Clary felt a scowl deepen between her brows. "That's not even funny."

"I was actually being serious."

Clary sighed as she exchanged a glance between Jace and Isabelle. "They'd expect us to head over to the Institute, right?" she asked, pursing her lips.

"Probably. That is, if they have any intelligence which Izzy said they had," Jace replied, still gazing over every section of the alleyway.

"So...Wouldn't they have set up traps along the route there?"

He shrugged. "I doubt it. After they failed in the first attempt to bring me back, they'd know we'd suspect them of more ambushes. Especially in the places we always go."

"Hey, guys," Isabelle called suddenly, her back facing them, "look at this."

Clary shuffled over as the others did, squinting to see what Isabelle pointed at. splattered across one of the metal pieces of a fire escape, was a small speckle of reddish brown.

"Wow," Simon said melodramatically, "It's...a red smudge," he whispered. "And this...can help us how?" he offered up unhelpfully.

Even sick, Clary still managed to throw her famous shut-up glare his way.

"It's called tracking, Vamp," Jace said. "Why don't you use that O negative blood detector you have and lead the way?"

Clary was just throwing her glares everywhere. "Please, Simon," she said and he nodded.

"Vampires; we don't get enough respect."

"Not if you're a Simon Vampire," Jace muttered with a toying smile.

Clary just sighed again. Obviously, they were not going to listen. Since when did they ever?

"Or if you're a Jace Lightwood wannabe," he added, casting an accusing glance at Simon who looked revolted.

"Fortunately for everyone, there's only one you."

Jace grinned. "But everyone wants to be me."

"Except me," Simon replied.

Jace shrugged in exasperation. "Because you're a Simon Vampire. It's clouded your judgement," he added, tapping his index finger to his head.

"Shut up, both of you!" Isabelle hissed and Clary mouthed a silent _T__hank you _which Isabelle accepted. "You guys can play whose-the-better-man after we find the-"

And just as she said it, Isabelle automatically looked up as a shadow passed by overhead. Jace's blades were already unsheathed and pointed, Isabelle's whip coiled and ready when the shadow sprang forward. Jace immediately darted over to Clary to shield her who had her own blade out as the shadow began to take form. Simon was the first to dive forward.

"Hold it, hold it!" Someone called and Clary could make out the image of Simon's hands grasped firmly around the intruder's throat. But the voice was all too familiar to be anything dangerous. At least, not to them.

Isabelle walked forward, her eyes widened. _"Alec?" _

**Sorry it's taking me so long to get these chapters to you guys. I'm trying to make them longer. Hope you like it! Please R&R!**


	15. Down the Rabbit Hole

"_What _are you doing here?" Isabelle asked her brother, "you were supposed to be in London."

Alec only replied with a shrug. "I was thinking of coming back anyways. I called mom to see how everything was and she told me what happened to Clary..." he shot her a quick glance, praising her whitened skin and the shadows under her eyes. "She said you lot were going after Sebastian. Although I don't know why you'd bring her, no offense Clary."

"Neither do I," Jace muttered under his breath.

Clary by this point, who _was _a little offended by the way, wanted to smack the smirk off both of their faces. "You're a little late on the lecture, Alec."

He gave her a weak smile. "Anyway, if you were going after Sebastian, I'm not missing out on the action. I still need to make him pay for..." Alec's voice trailed off as his eyes lowered to the ground. Isabelle walked over and patted his shoulder reassuringly. "He _will _pay for that, Alec, and for everything else he's done."

Clary bit her lip to keep from saying anything. Sure, she wanted Sebastian to face the repercussions of his actions...but it still wouldn't bring the dead back, just the addition of a fallen enemy.

* * *

"Maybe we should think of something else," Simon said, appearing and disappearing from the darkness, searching for any signs of the creatures. "I mean, this clearly isn't working."

"Don't be so negative," Clary replied, ignoring the irritating pain that coursed through her neck as she leaned over a railing that fell a few floors to the street below. They stood on a rooftop down by Central Park, standing above a cafe. "We already saw one tonight."

"If that in fact even was one," Jace piped in, holding Clary's hand as she looked down, as if she'd topple down the base of it.

She cleared her throat. "Uh, what did I just say about the negativity? It was. I saw it."

"Why can't these things ever be easier?" Simon complained, landing back onto the rooftop after scouting an alleyway. "Seriously, why can't we ever just find what we're looking for, get to the source of it, say some clever things, and kill it? The bad guys always have to make everything so complicated. One reason why they absolutely suck."

Clary saw Alec's lip twitch. "One reason why they..._suck?" _

The Vampire automatically groaned. "I already have to deal with Jace on this, I don't need you, too," Simon bit back.

Jace smiled. "I didn't realize how dearly missed you would be, Alec."

"That's a nice thing to say to your parabotai," he replied.

Clary rolled her eyes as Isabelle let out an aggravated sigh. "No wonder we aren't seeing anything. It's because you all won't shut it! Ugh, could you guys just stop bickering for a moment? Are you capable of that?" she asked with raised brows.

Alec shifted his eyes to the road blow, ignoring his sister. Jace, already sensing Alec's idea, followed his gaze. "Interesting," he muttered, pursing his lips as if he were thinking of something unpleasant.

"What?" Isabelle and Clary said in unison. _Boys, _Clary thought, _they either speak too much or speak too less. _

Just as Clary was getting around to asking again, realization dawned on Izzy's face. "Oh, no," she said. "No, no, no, no, no. These boots are new!"

* * *

"Jace, when we get out of here, I am going to kill you," Isabelle complained as they lifted up one of the street lids that led to the sewer system. "These shoes were a fortune and you will pay for them in full," she continued, motioning for everyone to go first. Ugh, she really needed to stop wearing cute boots out on a hunting trip. She mentally cursed herself. "Ew, it smells horrible."

"Ah," Jace said, "it's just a little bit of everyone."

Isabelle slapped his shoulder in response.

"Well," Alec began, "who wants to be the first to climb down into the feces water first?"

Jace grabbed a witchstone from his pocket. "I vote Simon. Hey, it's not like I bought this shirt at Walmart," he added, catching the look on Clary's face.

Simon stepped forward, humming a little song to himself. "_One, two, three, four, down below New Yorkies' floor. Five, six, seven, eight, Jace is the one I truly hate."_

"You are all deaf," Izzy muttered, watching him descend into the hole. A short silence followed before Simon's voice appeared from down below. "Yeah...the movies never did any of this justice."

"Is there any ground?" Isabelle asked as Jace helped Clary next.

"Of course there is."

"Oh, good," Isabelle said.

"Yup, but it's covered with all this putrid water."

Izzy glared at the hole and her hands automatically curled into fists. After all this was over, Simon will be glad he was made immortal; he wouldn't survive her otherwise.

"You're next Izzy," Alec said. Isabelle crept forward and placed her feet and hands on the rungs, going down slowly. The smell impossibly worsened, becoming nearly unbearable, like acid to the nose. She'd deal with it though; had to.

"Yuck," Clary said, covering her nose in the light of Jace's stone.

"You think it's bad," Simon said, "but think how bad it must be for me."

"Excuse me," Clary said, "I have hightened senses. It's both a gift and a curse."

"And a side-effect due to the venom..." Simon added.

"Ditto."

"OK," Alec intervened, "looks like we have two options. Left or right. Which way?"

"I say we just split up," Clary said, glancing down both possibilities.

"No way," Jace snapped. "We can't risk-"

"Well, we have to," Isabelle said. "Simon, Clary and I will go left, you and Alec go right."

"If you think I'm leaving Clary to-"

"Those things will think that if Clary's with us, you will be, too. They're not after her."

Jace glared at her. "So you think I'll let you use her as a type of bait?"

Isabelle pursed her lips but didn't say anything.

He cursed. "That's not an option."

"It's also not your decision," Clary added. "You guys go that way. I'll be fine. I've got a Vampire and Isabelle."

"No," he said.

"You don't get the final say."

"Jace," Alec whispered, "she'll be okay. They have a point."

"But-"

"No more buts, we don't have time," Izzy said. "Let's get going."


	16. Come High Water

Simon wasn't holding his breath. That was one good thing about being a Vampire; breathing was unnecessary for him, just came as more of a habit. A habit he really needed to break.

"How far have we gone?" Izzy asked as quietly as possible, no doubt remembering the warning Simon had given both her and Clary moments before to keep it down because of the echo. Not that he'd needed to; no one had been speaking up until then.

He grimaced. "I don't know. Not long though."

Clary suddenly missed her footing and smacked her hand against the wall, the vibration bouncing down the tunnel, followed by a fit of coughing.

Simon rushed over and lightly touched her shoulder. Before he could say anything, however, she shook her head. "I'm fine."

"It's getting worse," he said, not really to anyone in particular.

"You don't think I know that?" she snapped. "Sorry," Clary added. "Let's just find where this leads."

Time passed in silence, nothing but the quiet sloshing of mucky water beneath their feet and the echoing of breathing as their only source of noise. Isabelle tried to relax as she walked the length of the seemingly unending tunnel, attempting to calm herself against the sudden fear that the walls were closing in, soon to bury her in the suffocating darkness. She didn't think about what may face ahead, didn't wish to think about facing off some unearthly hybrids that Clary's insane father had altered and that her impossibly-more-insane of a brother had somehow managed to control them to carry out his dirty little deeds.

Nor did Isabelle want to imagine what she would do to Sebastian if given the chance. She had an organized display of mental torments she knew that creep deserved. He was a coward. Always hiding until convenience found him, now hiding behind the works of a dead man.

It was the sound sudden coughing that brought Isabelle back from her thoughts. Clary leaning against her hand plastered against one of the walls hacking away. Simon looked unnerved and concerned, directing Clary over to a dry patch of ground, a raised piece of cement near the end of this tunnel.

"Let's take a break," Simon said, having Clary sit against the slab.

"I'm fine," she replied indignantly, trying to stand, but Simon just shoved her back down, gently.

"No, you need to rest, take a breather."

She glared weakly at him before leaning her head against the wall and closing her eyes. Then Simon stood, treading back over to where Isabelle stood, her lips pierced. "We need to hurry," she said, worry nagging in the pit of her stomach. Simon nodded. "I know. But we can only move so fast. How are you...holding up?" he asked, as if not knowing exactly how to word the question.

Isabelle shrugged. "I'm great. How can taking a little detour down a sewer tunnel to chase after dangerous creatures possibly compare to being in a safe place in front of like, a fire?" she said, sarcasm dripping from her voice, trying to hide how truly scared and worried she was. "I'm just craving the adrenaline." But her tone broke on the last word, putting a kink in her armor she had always worn.

"We'll get through this, Iz," Simon muttered, tucking a strand of her dark hair behind her ear. "We've faced worse."

"And it just keeps getting worse. No wonder few Shadowhunters live to see their thirtieth birthday. Not that I'd mind," she added quickly, "that's when wrinkles start."

"Then get Botox, because you're going to be around for quite some time. I won't let you go a second before."

She smiled. "If this...goes badly, I just feel like I need to tell you-that I want to-"

"Shut up, Isabelle. Nothing is going to happen. I won't _allow _anything like that to happen. Clary will be fine, we'll all get out of this, and Sebastian will fall. Have a little faith."

_I have faith, _Isabelle thought. But what Simon had sounded more like optimism than actual possibility. "Well then fine. It's not a goodbye, or an 'but if.' I'll say it as a...'just because.' I just want you to know that...you mean a lot to me Simon, and it...it scares me a little."

She mentally cursed herself for sounding so vulnerable. How did this one guy who used to be a complete dork and follow her around like a lost puppy, make her feel like this? Could do this to her? She looked down.

"You're very important to me, Isabelle. Don't ever think differently about that. I mean, every time you walk into a room, I have to remind myself to breathe. And I don't even _need _to breathe. But with you...it's like I'm alive again."

_Well, _she thought, trying not to cry, _way to crush what I said. _She took in a deep breath, shooting a quick glance at Clary who appeared to be asleep. "I haven't...ever gotten close to many people. And I'm scared that...I'll lose this...that I'll lose you and I haven't really been well-accquainted with that fear before."

A deep conviction settled over Simon's eyes. "You won't lose me, Izzy. "Come high water and hybrids."

"That's not how that saying goes," she observed.

"Well it certainly is appropriate for this situation."

Without warning, she wrapped her arms around his neck, the only place she knew of where she could be safe wherever she was. "I really like you, Vampire."

He grinned back at her. "Sparkle, sparkle." Then he kissed her, slow at first but she could detect the hidden layer of eagerness lying just beneath his surface. She was vaguely aware that Clary could wake up to this sight at any moment, but she didn't care. It was in him where she found security, a new armor that only he could crack.

* * *

"Clary, we have to keep moving," Simon whispered to her, gently shaking her shoulder. He felt bad for waking her, but they needed to continue on. She looked at him wearily before giving him a nod and standing up. "Which way?" she asked, groggy. They were at another split-off, two more tunnels branching off on either side of them.

"It's possible Jace and Alec will come out of that one," Isabelle said, pointing to the one on her side.

"Then down this one we go," Simon said, starting off. A little less water ran through this tunnel which, he could tell, greatly pleased Isabelle. He continued to play and replay everything she said to him, recalling the way she felt against him...her lips against his...

An abrupt ripple of noise, like a pebble falling into the water, halted him mid-stride.

"What?" both Clary and Isabelle asked, freezing as well. Simon just held up a finger, shushing them.

_Stay here, _he mouthed, unsure of whether they could read his lips in the extremely dim light, but knowing that both of them could see extremely well in the dark.

Isabelle shook her head.

He held up his hands to emphasize the word 'stay,' before he crept forward, slinking through the water as quietly as if there weren't any. The shadows of the tunnel shrouded whatever he had heard in darkness as he kept going, straining his ears to hear what lay far ahead.

_Maybe I'm overreacting, _he thought to himself. _A pebble could have fallen in the water. _

_From where? _his instincts seemed to ask. The tunnel was round, unless a piece of cement had suddenly dislodged and plunked into the water. That wasn't really reassuring either.

Then another _plunk _resounded in front of him.

He bit his lip, creeping forward with such stealth and awareness that he couldn't possibly miss a thing. He counted to three, knowing he was right upon whoever had made the sounds, ready to grab fur and break that hybrid's neck. He angled himself...

one...

Isabelle and Clary had stayed behind, right?

two...

Was Sebastian down here as well?

three...

Simon pounced. Something hot flashed across his arm and he hissed in pain, knowing the only weapon that could do that. He locked his jaw in annoyance.

"You idiot."

"You came at me first before you were sure of what you were attacking," Jace's voice came out, a matter-of-factly look in his eyes. "That's being careless."

"And you didn't know it was me?"

"I don't dislike you that much Simon," he said earnestly. "Clary would kill me. No, I didn't know it was you."

Simon sighed, ignoring the irritation that probed his insides. Of course, Jace continued to walk until he reached Clary and embraced her, asking if she was alright and all that. Alec stood back, arms crossed, his blade glowing faintly in the dark.

"Why didn't you turn those on before?" he asked indignantly.

"I didn't want to give us away," Alec answered. "Jace's idea."

"Well then, I think it's safe to say that we picked the wrong tunnel," Isabelle said, giving Simon a look that made him want to kiss it gently off her lips.

"We went in a circle," Jace admitted. "Whoever designed this system really didn't accomplish the 'efficiency goal.'"

"Forward it is then," Simon said, threading his fingers through Isabelle and beginning to walk.

But the sudden growling that appeared from ahead along with the groan of the cement above halted them in their tracks.

"Or back," Jace said, a fierce expression on his face as he pushed Clary behind him.

Not that running down the tunnel would save time. It was already too late.

The hybrids had found them.


	17. Revealed

"Get down!" Clary heard Jace shout, feeling the sensation of something moving above them. Then light blazed, emanating off his and Alec's sword, Isabelle's whip crackling viciously from behind Simon.

Clary felt suddenly useless and utterly terrified when a sickly voice appeared from the darkness, cloaked in the shadows. "Well, well, well. Isn't this a nice surprise," one of the creatures said, the sound like grating daggers, sending Clary's stomach churning. She was aware of Jace's arm shielding her from the hybrid.

"He said you'd come to us," a different voice came, close to the other but their exact location was still unknown to Clary. "He'll be delighted that this is working out so nicely."

"Get back!" Simon yelled, a snarl ripping its way up his throat and out his mouth.

"You cannot overpower us," the first one said, a gleeful tone in its hideous voice. "And we must follow orders."

"What are your orders?" Alec asked. Surprisingly, he didn't look as frightened as one should when crossing an enormous beast they were unfamiliar with.

"We are to retrieve that one," the second replied. "The self-absorbed Shadowhunter."

Clary felt Jace's hands tighten. "I prefer the term 'self-infatuated.' And hate to break it to you, but I'm not going to follow you merrily down a black tunnel to my impending doom without a fight."

Then he charged.

Clary heard the sound of metal slicing through the air, making out the silhouette of Jace going against one of the beasts. Simon and Alec had the other, Vampire and Shadowhunter fighting side by side with Isabelle who was lashing out at it with her whip.

Clary reached for her dagger that she normally kept in her boot but it was not there. Had it fallen out as they'd been walking? Had it even been there or had someone removed it? She felt helpless. Then she had an idea.

"Jace!" she called. Clary could hear him, trying to make his way over to her, blocking her from the hybrids. "I'm a little preoccupied at the moment!"

"Your stele!" she said. "I need you! I have an idea!"

He continued to keep the hybrids at bay, slowly creeping back until he was near her. He dug around in his pocket until he pulled out a thin cylinder. "Hold out your hand," she ordered. He did and she drew something across his palm.

"What's this?" he asked. But she didn't have time to answer. "Just touch it to one of them."

He looked at her for a moment before he nodded and rejoined with the others.

_Please work, _Clary thought. _Please work, please work, please work. _She didn't know why she hadn't though of this before. Heavenly Fire burns through anything evil and Jace still had it in him. If she'd successfully figured out how to leak some through so that he could use it to defend them-

Something bright suddenly bursted, making Clary shield her eyes away.

The sound of wailing came next; agonizing cries from one of the beasts, and Clary squinted, just able to catch sight of the beast, its side's fur seared away, rivers of dark red making its way into the tiny stream of water, changing its color.

Then her eyes switched to Jace, insuring that he was alright. Other than appearing dazed and a little nauseous, he seemed fine.

"Where'd the other go?" Alec asked, still staring at Jace in bewilderment.

"I don't know," Isabelle replied, turning to look down the tunnel. "I think it ran away."

"Well let's not wait around for it," Alec said. "This way!" he called, leading them down back the way they'd come until they reached down to the branch off. But there were no longer two tunnels, but three now.

"Wait," Clary said. "Where'd that tunnel come from?"

"It's a quicker exit, I think. It's probably the one Sebastian uses to get out of here," Alec answered, pursing his lip. "That is...if Sebastian even leaves this place."

Clary looked down it apprehensively. "I don't know."

"We don't have time," Alec said, a frantic look on his face. "I'd rather face another tunnel then those creatures again."

Clary thought about it another moment before nodding. This was Alec and she trusted him.

They made their way down the tunnel, Alec and Jace in the lead, Simon, Isabelle, and Clary in the back. This tunnel was more narrow with even less water, the ground practically dry except for the damp residue line that ran down the tunnel, a little bit over Clary's head. She swallowed. Waters apparently got pretty high here.

"Are you sure we shouldn't have followed the other one?" Simon asked, glancing at Alec ahead of him who shook his head. "We didn't even see where it went, how could we have followed it?"

Clary grinded her teeth, feeling suddenly claustrophobic in the small tunnel. If the thing had run away...why were the hairs on Clary's neck still standing on end?

She continued walking, pausing once to inspect the tunnel to insure that they were not being pursued.

And that's when she saw it.

"Isabelle, WATCH OUT!" Clary screamed, watching as a dark patch above them disappeared and landed...with one clawed paw grasping Isabelle around the waist, securing her. She gave out a cry of pain, her eyes widening as she looked down.

Simon shot forward, but Clary grabbed his arm, knowing that if he stepped out of bounds, the thing would kill her.

All the color drained from Alec's face. "Let her go!" he said, holding his blade aloft, aimed at the hybrid's throat.

"You almost backed out," the creature hissed. "I could see it in your eyes."

Confusion muddled Clary's brain. Jace just stared at Alec.

"I wasn't!" Alec whispered, looking suddenly ashamed.

Clary looked back at Jace, her breath stopping when she saw his expression. It was full of pain, of the brutal truth that had cut him to the core, as if it had literally left a scar-which it would, just not one visible to the eye. He clenched his jaw. "This was a trap," Jace spat the words at Alec, the betrayal apprearing as if it were weighing him down. "You cut a deal."

"This wasn't part of the deal!" Alec yelled, not taking his eyes from his sister's horrific expression. "He said none of you would be harmed."

"He just poisoned Clary, his own _sister, _just hours ago! She _died, _Alec! How is THAT not harming us?!" Jace shouted, his voice boiling with anger and...pain. "You honestly think he needs Isabelle? Or Simon? He will kill them! Do you want to be responsible for their death? Do you want to lose another sibling to the hands of THAT MAN?!" he continued to scream.

Clary saw Alec flinch, glaring at Jace's words. "I spoke to him," he said. "He gave me his word that all he wanted was-"

"Wake up, Alec! Sebastian's word is as good as dirt. He won't follow through. You just led us to the slaughter-house."

"Enough chit-chat," the hybrid suddenly rasped. It gave out some weird, squealing noise and two more hybrids surrounded them. Clary vaguely wondered how many there were total.

"Walk," the thing demanded. But Clary's focus was on Isabelle who was being led the other way. "Where are you taking her?" Simon shouted.

"Alexander's loyalty seems to be a little shaken. She will be used as...leverage."

Alec turned to his sister. "Iz, I'm sorry. I won't let them hurt you," he promised.

The look Isabelle gave him could only be explained as broken. "_They _aren't the ones who will hurt me, Alec," she said as one of the hybrids led her away.

Alec looked back at the others, Simon still trying to get through the hybrids, calling out for Isabelle.

Jace couldn't even look at Alec, it seemed, as they were forced down the tunnel. But he turned to Alec as they passed, Jace giving him a look that was crafted from solid steel. "You are not my parabotai anymore."

And they were led back into darkness.

**Sorry, I know this will make some people mad but I saw an opportunity to throw a twist...please R&R! **


	18. What A Mangled Web We Weave

**Okay, I was just wondering. I've been doing a lot of Cassandra Clare and I was thinking about starting another fan fiction (not that I'm stopping this, but just to do another as well.) Any ideas or requests for another series' fan fic? **

Jace's hands clenched together, squeezing Clary's fingers that were bounded tightly in his as they continued to walk down the dank tunnel. His palm felt empty without his sword-without bearing any type of protection, the blade forced from his hand by the hybrids. Now it was lying somewhere far behind him, lost beneath the murky water.

He looked at Clary. "I'll get you out of this," he assured her, his lips brushing against her ear.

She shook her head. "_We_ will get _us _out of this," Clary corrected him. He gave her a weak smile, ignoring the wave of shame that engulfed him. Jace was still numb from what Alec had done. He'd trusted him, had become his brother under the Clave, and he betrayed him. A man sworn to protect and guard him with his life had plotted _against _Jace. And for what? What could Sebastian possibly have to offer that would ultimately make Alec turn on his family and people he cared for? Jace wanted nothing more than to say he'd expected it, had seen it coming, but that would be a lie. Yes, perhaps he'd seen a change in Alec, a shift that had created a distance between them, but Jace wouldn't have guessed that that would provoke this...this betrayal. It physically pained him, like a piece of brass cutting into his flesh. But he didn't know if it would ever fully heal-it would just be another addition to his hidden scars, another reminder of how people who had seemed to care, could wind up being his destruction.

Clary recalled telling Clary that to love is to destroy and to be loved is to be the one destroyed, but that really wasn't true. It was choosing who to love. Jace could not condemn his entire brotherhood with Alec because Alec hadn't always been this way. This had been a recent developement and try as he might, Jace wanted to give him the benefit of the doubt.

But Jace had never been that much of a giver.

"Faster!" one of the creatures balked, breaking Jace out of his reverie. He needed to focus. To forget Alec's treachery and come up with a way to get all four of them out. He needed to find out where they had taken Isabelle and what Sebastian had planned to do with them once they were captured.

A sudden whistling appeared from behind them and Clary was thrusted forward, nearly losing her balance. Jace grabbed her before she fell, stabilizing her. He shot the darkness one of his icy glares. "Leave her alone," he said, voice jagged and hard.

A haggard breathing appeared from the darkness, but otherwise, all remained eerily quiet.

Jace looked back at Simon who was staring intently at the ground, not blinking. "Hey," Jace said. The Vampire's eyes shot up.

"We'll get Isabelle," Jace said assuringly. "No creature would be stupid enough to mess with her. You know that."

Simon nodded. "But if they do, I swear I'll-"

"She'll be fine," Jace interrupted. Now he didn't know whether he was trying to comfort the Vampire or himself. Never in any dire situation had Jace ever thought he'd be in a position to attempt to _comfort Simon. _It was all very screwed up indeed.

A light emanating through some kind of port ahead made him nearly stop in his tracks. But he kept going, feeling Clary's hands clam up, squeezing his tighter than he would have guessed her capable of.

The closer they came to the light, the brighter it became and soon, he was squinting his eyes, pain flaring behind his lids, needing to adjust to the abrupt change until they were fully through.

Ignoring the discomfort his eyes felt, Jace opened them, trying to see past the white spots appearing in his vision. The putrid smell he had grown accustomed to was gone, replaced by a weird, cleaner smell, like artificial lemon. They were in a small, boxy room, the floor now dry and feces-free, even blanketed by a red rug that's color automatically reminded Jace of blood. Two couches stood opposed to each other, two tables on either side of them bearing a bowl of burning coal that hurt to look at directly. And sitting with a leg crossed, his expression resolute as if chiseled from glass, was...

"Well done," he chimed.

Jace's blood froze.

Sebastian.

* * *

Isabelle forced her heart rate to slow as she was led down a different corridor than that of the others, shoved and pushed by the creatures occasionally, sometimes even knocking her over. Fear pumped through her veins followed by adrenaline surging like a line of fire up her body. Tears threatened to fall but she refused to allow them. She was still in partial shock. Alec, her own _brother _had done this to them. Mom was going to be pissed. What would the Clave do? Alec had seemed genuinely pained when she had been taken away. But maybe it was part of the plan. Isabelle no longer knew what was genuine about her brother anymore.

"In here!" one of the hybrids snarled, grabbing her from behind and down a branch off she hadn't seen, which only went a little farther before opening into a tiny barred room, not much bigger than a janitor's closet. Isabelle was shoved inside, the rusted door nearly slamming on her fingers.

She locked her jaw, moving backwards until she hit the opposite wall, keeping a determined look plastered to her face. "What did my brother bargain for?" Isabelle asked quietly, yet her voice still held a firm undertone.

"An impossibility," one of the hybrids sneered. Isabelle took a deep breath. "Why are you keeping me here? Wouldn't it be more plausible to have me with the others if they aren't bargaining like my brother?" she challenged.

"Your brother is too inconsistent to take chances with."

"What makes you think he cares what happens to me?"

A reply came a lot closer to the bars than Isabelle had wanted. "Oh, he cares. Now we'll get to see how much."

Anger boiled inside Isabelle. "You know, screw you."

At her words, something flashed between the bars, slicing across her cheek. She pursed her lips in pain.

"Careful, girl," one hissed. "You're not the only leverage at our disposal."

Isabelle ignored the threat, the anger burning so brightly inside her, it nearly made her cell a little lighter. "The Clave will come after you!" she said, conviction evident in her tone. "You can only stay hidden for so long. And when they find you, they will eliminate you."

Isabelle wiped the blood from her cheek as she studied the darkness.

"Too bad you won't be around to see it," the other hybrid cackled. Nausea settled in the pit of Isabelle's stomach. She could nearly smell the breath of the creature, a foul odor that she dare not think of what it was derived from.

"You are right to fear us."

"I'm not afraid of you," Isabelle replied which only made both of the hybrids laugh. Of course she was afraid, but she was raised to ignore her fear.

Another snarl-"don't tempt me, girl," it hissed. "My orders were to keep you alive. There were no specifics on how _much _alive."

"You still can't kill me," she muttered, unable to quench a reply. It was a mistake.

The bars shuttered violently, making her jump as a clawed hand appeared, crossing down her thigh. Isabelle cried out in pain, falling to one knee. At least their claws weren't poisonous-it was the mouth area she needed to avoid.

Isabelle clutched her leg, her hand coming away wet with blood. Then a reminder flooded her and she slid her hand down to her boots, pulling out a small blade she kept shoved there for emergencies. This qualified as an emergency, though she didn't know how a blade would stop them. Because she knew it wouldn't.

But it was the only defense she had.

"Death is not the worst thing that can be done," one said. Behind her back, Isabelle transferred the knife to her left hand, keeping the other firmly pressed against the wound. She wouldn't be able to run all that well which would be a problem. She decided though, that her main priority was getting out of there to find the others.

seconds passed in silence, slowly turning into minutes and so on. Isabelle didn't realize one of the two hybrids had left until she heard them speaking. "They are not cooperating," one said, obviously angry.

The other gritted his teeth, making a sickening grinding noise that chafed against Isabelle's nerves.

"Your companions don't seem to care for you much either," the other called back to her. She automatically stiffened.

"What will he have us do?" it added.

"They want to see her. But _he_ doesn't want her in as...perfect of a condition as we brought her in."

_Mission accomplished, _Isabelle thought sourly, trying to halt the fear that threatened to choke her. She could always make it look as if she were in more pain but Isabelle had never mastered the technique of grovelling.

She heard the second make an acknowledged, gutteral noise, and then-the thing was directly in front of the barred door.

"Hear that?" it asked sarcastically. "I'll try and make this quick," another hand flashed forward and Isabelle didn't have time to think before she whipped out her knife and drove the blade straight into the wrist.

The thing hollered in agony, followed by a noise that was half growl half sneer. Then another pair of arms sprang through, raking down Isabelle's left arm and down the side of her face.

She was screaming before she even felt the pain.

**I wanted something bad to happen to Isabelle because I don't know about you, but I'm excited to write about Simon with this scene. We've seen how it is with Jace almost losing Clary, so now I want to write it with Simon and Isabelle. Please R&R and don't forget about any possible new fan fic requests! (hopefully I've read the series you want)**


	19. Scarlet Grounds And Scarlet Faces

"Welcome to my humble abode," Sebastian said, his voice dripping with menace and vile-humor. Simon gnashed his teeth together, feeling his canines begin to protrude...

"Tsk, tsk, tsk. Dear Sis, what have you gotten yourself into?" Sebastian asked, his black eyes shifting to Clary as he stood and approached them. Simon saw Clary stiffen. "You did," she hissed with surprising vehemence in her tone. "You got me into this."

Simon's hands locked together, his grip hard enough to splinter steel as he looked into the eyes of the man that had caused his best friend so much pain, his girlfriend friend pain, even Jace who Simon had to admit didn't deserve what he'd gotten most of his life. Stupid Alec. Simon would beat him to a pulp when he got out of here. _If _he got out of here.

Sebastian began to approach Clary as if he were welcoming her home, but Jace was there in an instant, the only thing that stood between them. "Don't you _dare _come anywhere near her," he hissed, voice pure venom. "Or I'll kill you a lot sooner."

"With what?" Sebastian asked, raising his eyebrows, challenging Jace. He was right, as much as Simon hated to admit it. Jace had nothing to defend himself with. He had lost his stele and and sword. Simon wondered if he'd be able to do anything useful, but he also knew those hybrids weren't far away and he still needed to find Isabelle before things went down.

Jace's eyes were bright with anger, the pulsing flames from one of the bowls reflecting in his eyes. "What did you promise Alec?" he asked, hi jaw locked with breaking force.

Sebastian just smiled-an evil, fake uplifting of the corners of his lips that didn't reach his black irises. "Something you, nor anyone else could give him."

Jace gave him a hard look and Simon could tell that Jace knew what Sebastian had promised Alec; a promise that would ultimately be broken and lit on fire.

"You promised him immortality." The words were cold and icy out of his mouth. Sebastian didn't even look unfazed. "I'm surprised you didn't think of it sooner."

"Where is he?"

"Around. But there are more important matters to discuss."

Jace's eyes grew to slits. Simon momentarily worried what the Shadowhunter had planned, but it deminished when Jace simply said, "I hate you."

Sebastian gave him a weary look. "Well, you certainly don't look as if you care. Like you do for my sister? Ah, love...such a weird concept and feeling."

"You know nothing about love," Jace hissed. "You never have and you never will. You weren't intended to know it."

Sebastian's face changed and Simon could see the anger there, boiling just beneath the surface. "Why do you fight me, Jace? We are practically brothers. We are-"

"No!" Jace yelled. "No, we aren't. I am _nothing _like you. I swear I'd rather die than see myself become anything close to the person you are."

"But we do have the common interest in something," Sebastian's eyes shot to Clary.

Simon stepped near Jace so that both of them were shielding her.

"Is this because of that argument we had, Sister?" Sebastian called. "I didn't give you any permanent scars. Nothing that won't heal."

Both Simon and Jace turned to Clary, looking as if she might be sick.

Sebastian smiled again. "Come now, it was Jace who seems to never be around when you need him. I still saved your life," he added.

"In an attempt to gain my trust!" Clary shouted. "You are not my brother. You're just some maniac that my psycho-of-a-father experimented on."

Sebastian sighed, irritated. "Time to bring in the leverage, boys," he called out. "Oh and uh,...don't hesistate to mess with her a bit."

Simon lurched forward, but Jace grabbed him from behind. "They'll kill you. Calm down."

But how could Simon calm down? This was Isabelle they were talking about. How could Jace just sit back and watch? He'd already seen his parabotai betray him. Simon had just assumed that Jace would want to protect the ones he could trust that much more.

Then, a scream broke into the room, echoing off the walls.

Simon froze, but only for an instant. He hadn't taken into account what things would really be like without Isabelle. He never imagined her as a girl capable of getting hurt. Now, just the pain he heard in that scream made all those horrible thoughts rush through his head at a sickening speed. He needed her to be okay. He needed her to be strong. But more importantly, this was one of the first times Simon actually came face-to-face with how much he just needed her.

"I'll kill you," he said to Sebastian. He didn't recognize his own voice, like that of a human but the growl of an animal. Already he could smell blood. "I'll kill you!"

Sebastian grinned wickedly at him, just as the hybrids re entered, supporting an unconcious and bloody Isabelle, dropping her a few yards away from Simon. He suddenly felt as if he couldn't breathe, as if he were drowning. A horrible pain expanded in his chest, threatening to crash over him. Simon didn't look at Sebastian as he repeated his earlier threat. "I'm going to. Kill. You."

"Everyone is out to get me, I know."

Simon tried to get over to Isabelle but one of the massive hybrids blocked his path. They were strange creatures, yes. Like a werewolf only partly Changed yet with the lithe and strengths as a Vampire.

He tried to see past them, to the crumpled girl on the ground. True, the blood Simon could smell clearly from across the room, but he didn't care. He wouldn't hurt her. He knew control.

"Let me through!" he yelled.

"We won't have anything to discuss if you don't," Jace said. Simon could hear the ferociness in his voice but it all seemed far away. The only thing on his mind was to just get to Isabelle. Everything else was merely dreamlike. He didn't even have time to think his actions through before he back-stepped and dodged the Hybrids, nearly jumping over them, then kneeling down beside Isabelle. He expected to feel something try and pull him away, back across the room, but nothing came.

He pulled Isabelle into his lap, supporting her head that lolled against his arm. He breathed through his mouth, but it halted in his throat as gently peeled away her blood-soaked hair, revealing a long, gruesome gash down the side of her face. Already she was turning pale due to the loss of blood.

He tore off part of his jacket, pressing it firmly against her wound, assessing other injuries. There was a huge claw mark down her thigh plus another on her waist. Simon felt helpless as he stared down at her. "You're going to be okay, Izzy," he said, although he just as easily could have been trying to convince himself. "You're going to be fine, but you have to wake up."

She didn't.

"Iz, wake up!" he shouted, pulling her against his chest and rocking her back and forth. He could barely concentrate enough to hear Sebastian.

"See what love does? You have a Vampire, a powerful Daylighter, on the floor-begging. Does that make you stronger?" he asked.

Simon went back to ignoring him, tuning out his voice. He hated being unable to do something useful. Instead, all he could do was wipe the deep scarlet from Isabelle's cheek. "Please wake up, Isabelle. Please, please. If you don't _right now, _I'll...break up with you." He didn't think the threat would work.

Could Vampires cry? Because Simon felt his vision begin to blur. A sos suddenly racked his body, shaking him.

But then, he saw her eyelids flutter.

The he saw her eyes and she was looking up at him, telling him..."hey."

His breath caught in relief. He didn't know how long she'd be able to stay concious without the assistance of a stele, but he couldn't think about that at the moment. "Hey," he said, but the words had barely left his lips before they were on hers, and he was crushing her-gently-against him again.

He ran his free hand through her hair when they finally pulled apart. "We'll find a way out of here," he whisperes to her so Sebastian couldn't hear. "You'll be fine, just keep pressure on the wounds."

"They're still...bleeding though."

"You'll be fine," he repeated.

"Hope...so," she said, biting her lip at the pain. Simon felt his heart contract. "Because I...really like you."

She was laying on his lap, losing a lot of blood, telling him her feelings? She chose now? Simon swallowed. "No, you _will _be fine because I'm...I'm in love with you, Isabelle Lightwood. You aren't allowed to go anywhere I can't follow you."

There. He said it. He'd pictured telling her a different way, but nothing always happened in the way one thought it would.

He saw tears in her eyes. "Why does your...words always have to...one-up...mine?" she asked sarcastically. "Because I'm in love with you, too."

And laying there, Vampire and Shadowhunter, Simon never thought he knew her to be more beautiful.

Now it was time to make a plan.

**I liked writing this. Ah, I think Izzy and Simon are my favorite couple now! Please R&R because the faster I get reviews, the faster I will post the next chapter. :)**


	20. Author's Note

**I'm so sorry it is taking me so long to get the next chapter up! I've been busy lately, plus, I don't really know how I want the next chapter to go. It will be up soon! Sorry! **


	21. Cornered

Isabelle was hurt and bleeding, Clary's pain was beginning to worsen due to the venom, all the while being face-to-face with her masochistic brother, trapped behind a barrier of feril creatures.

But Clary refused to ask if it could possibly get worse.

"I'm very sorry, Sister, for the attack. I see it has taken quite a toll on you," Sebastian said, his voice sending splinters up Clary's spine, digging deep into the bone.

"Sorry you did it or sorry I'm still here?" she challenged, meeting the black eyes with her own defiant glare. She would not fear him, would not, no. She refused to give him that satisfaction.

Sebastian's expression twisted into some false mockery of hurt. "I never wanted to hurt you, Clarissa. That was never my intention."

She locked her jaw, feeling Jace tense again beside her. "You sure about that? Because nothing you did, nothing you _ever _did pointed to the possibility of you _actually _caring! You don't even know how to define that word, or any relatively _human _word regarding feelings," Clary spat the last part, raising her chin higher as her aggression grew. "You know only anger and deception."

He gave her a lopsided smile, one she despised the moment it appeared on his face. "We still share blood, Clary. You and I, we could accomplish great things. Look at what you're able to do now and you've only just begun to discover who you truly are. You need someone there to help you. I know more about you than I allow you to believe."

"You honestly know nothing about me. You're not part of my family! You never have been and you never will be."

Clary saw the anger burning in his eyes and triumph surged through her that her words had impacted him one way or the other. She suddenly felt a little stronger.

"I can take what you have, Clarissa. I can still take it and break it all."

Clary ignored the threat. "If you do, you won't live long enough to see the effect it'll have on me."

"Not unless I start now."

"Isabelle!" The voice that rang from one of the tunnels echoed through the room and both Clary and Sebastian turned to see Alec running towards his sister. A loud growl tore through Simon's throat at his approach. "Touch her and I'll kill you," he snarled.

"She's _my _sister.," Alec shot back.

"And _you did this to her!" _Simon roared, the sound deafening.

The tension between Clary and Sebastian seemed to momentarily melt away, watching as Simon's words made the Shadowhunter falter back a step. It didn't help Alec that nobody tried to deny it. Why would we, Clary thought. It _was _kind of his fault. It abruptly became silent, as quiet as the dead as Alec stared, horrified.

Clary turned back just in time to catch a glimmer shining brightly in Sebastian's eyes. "Basic theory shows the weak will be the first to go."

She looked at him in confusion, but he was already gone, stepping over to Alec and lifting the Shadowhunter off his feet, Sebastian's hand locked around Alec's throat.

"NO!" Isabelle screamed just as Jace shot forward, yet he had nothing to defend himself with. Then Jace was sending a kick to Sebastian's back, but it didn't faze him; he just continued gripping Alec between his fingers.

Simon lifted Isabelle and carried her out of the range of fire, ignoring her shouts of protest. Clary's thoughts blended together and before she knew it, she too was racing towards Sebastian, trying to send an uppercut between him and Alec.

It didn't work. Sebastian threw her aside with a single motion and her back smacked against something big-with fur. The growl rippled through the massive body as Clary turned to the hybrid.

It was good to know she had anticipated that things could still go very wrong indeed.

**Sorry, I know it is a really short chapter but the next one I will make longer. **


	22. A Warrior's Fate

**Alright. Well, eventually I am going to do something people will not like. I'm trying to do what Cassie would do and she said that some characters may not survive through the entire book so when I do what I do please don't hate me. It's just how I see Cassie writing it because it is just the feeling I get. Oh, and what do people think about me creating a fan fic of Cassie's next series?**

Jace dove beneath Sebastian's hovering hand, before he had time to swing at him again. He swung with lightning-speed, sending another strike to Sebastian's grip, who loosened his hold just a bit on Alec. He gasped, the blues of his eyes burning into Jace, the color still draining from his skin. Then Sebastian turned around, striking a blow across Jace's face, sending his head reeling. Stars exploded from behind his vision as he tried to right himself, at first seeing only black dots. Blood pooled on his tongue and he spat, ignoring the throb in his lip from where he had bitten into it. Anger bubbled up inside Jace as he darted forward again, evading another hit from Sebastian. Sidestepping the man, he was able to get Alec out of Sebastian's grip, until the man turned back, reaching behind him...and bringing something long and glimmering silver forward.

Instinctively, Jace jumped back, barely missed the concealed blade's blow. Sebastian swung it again above his head, but soon Jace realized that he was not aiming it in the proper places. For one, he seemed to only be trying to handicap Jace, not kill him. Sebastian did not want him dead. He felt a light spark in his eye as the anger grew into some shuddering beast, demanding vengeance for all he had lost and everything that he could now.

Pain sliced across his hands and knees as he shot towards Sebastian, missing most of his blows as he tried to disarm him. Sebastian had been the best opponent he'd ever fought against. But he'd beaten him once. Jace would do it again.

"Been practicing without the usage of blades, I see," Sebastian said, turning his own in an '8' figure shape, cutting Jace lightly across his stomach. He clenched his teeth together, refusing to acknowledge the pain. "You never know what psychotic thing you're going to encounter. I'm no longer regretting those hand-to-hand combat techniques I learned," Jace replied, trying to go for Sebastian's wrists who had already seen what he was trying to do.

"So you anticipated that your enemy would get the better of you? I thought you had more pride than to allow it to be wounded-in such a way," he snapped, his eyes narrowing.

"Oh, I do," Jace said. "But I much enjoy-beating someone who has an advantage-and watching as their enlarged ego-crumbles."

"We have fought on the same-side," Sebastian said. "You-remember it. You remember the-feel of it. A part of you-wants that back."

"Not at the expense-of my own free will," Jace hissed, blocking the hilt of Sebastian's blade as it came down on him. "And I did not-enjoy it as much as you think. The food was no better-and your house had a very distasteful odor," he added. "Then again, maybe that-was just you."

Sebastian mumbled something incoherent and lunged forward, diving at Jace who swerved out of his path, missing by a hair. He turned around, pausing for just a moment as he spotted something red-Clary-facing off one of the enormous hybrids.

He didn't have time to think before Sebastian was there again cutting him off. "Ah, I'm not letting you go that easily."

"So much for attempting to be brotherly," Jace said, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "You obviously don't own a Webster's dictionary anywhere in this sewer."

"We could be brothers again," Sebastian said, his tone attempting kindness but only came out hostile. He stopped for a moment but Jace kept moving, his heart racing in his chest, sweat making his forehead slick. "You mean your puppet?" he asked. "I'm thinking-no."

"Maybe I can persuade you to reconsider," Sebastian replied, smiling wickedly.

"And maybe I can-persuade you-to surrender and appraise my-wardrobe!"

A sudden scream broke out and Jace turned his head, watching as Clary dove out of the path of the hybrid that he could barely see, since it moved as quickly as it did; like trying to catch a shadow.

"You'd rather watch Clarissa die?" Sebastian asked.

Jace glared at him, refusing to reveal the panic that surged inside him. "You wouldn't," he said, breathing heavily. "You say you care for her. In that sick, twisted way of yours. You know, It's not as endearing as you'd think."

"She will fall anyways. Clarissa cannot live with pain forever."

"You underestimate her," Jace said, paused in action, facing off the evil man.

"Or I just face the reality of what is at stake."

"Did you even make something that could reverse it or didn't you get that far in the making?"

Sebastian had the audacity to laugh; a low, throaty chuckle that echoed partially through the room. "Did you even have a plan? Tromp into my division and just...coax it from me? How you underestimated _me, _Jace."

"I don't bargain with psychopaths," Jace spat, trying to see past Sebastian to Clary, who was clinging to the beast, awash in darkness other than a streak of red.

"Well you are running out of options."

He was enjoying this, Jace could see that clearly on the other man's face. "Like you ever keep your word."

"It's not as if you are in a position to choose differently," he sneered.

"Or I could kill you. Now _that _sounds rather enjoyable. You aren't exactly a pleasure to have around," Jace bit back, ignoring the sweat that fell from his brow.

"So that's what you have been trying to do," Sebastian said, a false realization dawning on him mockingly. "No plan, no weapons, no worries on my end."

"If you are so hesitant to give me a blade doesn't that show you doubt yourself?" Jace challenged, beating the panic back and his instincts to get to Clary. "Pride comes before the fall."

"Oh, you're one to say that," Sebastian hissed. "A bit hypocritical, don't you think?"

"I'd rather be a hypocrite than a coward. At least I admit to it." Jace could see the annoyance playing across Sebastian's face, but in a moment, it was gone, replaced again with that slight of a smile. "I have confidence-"

"In confidence?" Jace said, remembering a movie Isabelle had once watched, though neither of them enjoyed it whatsoever. "Are you about to break into a song?"

Sebastian wasn't amused. "Keep talking, Jace. It's not my loved ones, with one exception, that hang in the balance."

The fury that ignited inside Jace grew incredibly brighter. "You don't care for me anymore?" he said sarcastically, placing a hand over his heart. "Well that hurts."

Sebastian's jaw locked.

"If you would like to be known as the winner who was given an advantage, therefore used cowardice to defeat, then so be it," Jace said. "But I don't think you're going to win."

Sebastian nodded in agreement. "So be it."

They charged.

* * *

It was like riding a bull, Clary concurred. If the bull had been injected with multiple doses of adrenaline, given gallons of Monster drinks and sugar, and placed in some scenario where the bull would go absolutely crazy and was mutated to be around three times its natural size.

Yes, it was exactly like that.

Clary thrashed against the monster as it moved, so quickly that she could not get a clear sight of anything. Everything was a blur, like a smeared oil painting surrounding her. And she didn't have a weapon and was still very weak. Things did not seem to be in her favor today.

The breath that came from the hybrid was foul. She could smell it as the air whooshed by her, making her gag as she slapped again and again against the hide of the creature. She clung feverishly to it, nails digging in until she felt them dampen with something slick. Probably blood. That did not help her grip and Clary knew it was only a matter of time before she fell. Was she high up? Would the fall be the end of her? Or would she be trampled?

"Clary!" she heard someone call to her, momentarily thinking it was Jace. She turned her head slightly, watching as a splash of black hair smeared by. Alec

She could barely see the boy who'd betrayed them surge forward, something flashing from his hand.

How'd he get a blade?

"Jump off!"

_What? _Clary thought. Well obviously spending time with Sebastian had caused Alec to become a little loony himself. She couldn't jump off. She'd be crushed underfoot.

"Jump now!"

Was he planning to kill her? He'd already betrayed them once...Clary's thought jumbled around inside, her head spinning, feeling sick.

Clary tried to look down to see where she'd land, but everything looked...hard. She did not like the idea of smacking against concrete.

"CLARY, NOW!"

_Okay, okay, _she thought, trying to suppress the growing fear. She didn't want to be afraid. She was a Shadowhunter. She could do this.

Right?

Not like she had a choice so before she could think twice about it, Clary used her feet as a pulley and pushed off.

The air engulfed her, time seemed to slow, she could see the beast coming into focus as she hit-not the ground- but against something hard.

"Ow," it said. She turned to look at Alec, his blue eyes shining.

"Sorry," she replied, then wondered why she'd apologized. It wasn't as if he didn't deserve to get smacked. He needed another.

"No, I'm sorry," Alec said, pushing her gently off him. "Stay here."

Clary momentarily wondered why people kept telling her that. It's not like she listened. But she couldn't get up right away either due to the spinning of the room. She just caught the sight of Alec running towards a shadow, the blade still clutched in his hand. That would require close distance. What Alec really needed was a bow. But there wasn't one.

She could only watch as white and silver flashed together, colliding; one metal, one teeth. Alec looked very small in comparison, like a small boy to a very large dog.

The hybrid slowed then, walking around Alec, assessing its prey, but he remained standing, his blue eyes sparking. Clary felt helpless yet again. She did not have a weapon and it wasn't as if getting back on that ride would do either of them any good.

In the next instant, Alec fell.

"A traitor to the traitor," the hybrid hissed. Clary had nearly forgotten that they could talk. It made them much more creepy.

Alec narrowed his eyes. "I was never on your side to begin with."

The monster gave out an unnatural noise, like an attempted chuckle. "Naive, aren't you. There is no between, little Nephilim and there is no going back."

Before Alec could respond, the beast reared back on his hind legs and launched forward, smacking into Alec with deafening force. It tossed him against the ground like a ragdoll, its teeth sinking into one of his legs. Alec cried out in pain.

Clary vaguely recalled hearing both Isabelle and Jace yell for him, but she was already moving forward, barely making it to her feet before she started running towards the beast, sending a kick that Jace had drilled into her, right towards the death grip it had on Alec's leg.

It loosened its hold and Alec pulled free, his leg now a bloody mess but at least it was still there. The hybrid locked its eyes on Clary then, its teeth clicking together, the sound like grinding bone. "Maybe I'll take my chances and defy my orders not to kill you," the hybrid spat, lunging towards her. Clary shielded her face, expecting to feel claws sinking in, teeth prodding flesh, but all she felt was a very large push as someone knocked her out of the way, uncovering her eyes to Alec as held his blade upwards as the best pounced oh him, teeth sinking into his shoulder before the hybrid collapsed.

And then they watched Alec fall.


	23. Final Breath

**Sorry the chapters are not that long, but I don't really spend that much time on this. But um...please R&R! **

One moment Isabelle was being forced across the room by Simon, sagging due to the exhaustion that racked her body, and in the next she was watching her brother face off a massive creature, staring in horror as it dug its canines deep into his flesh...She was suddenly bombarded with flashbacks of Max; lying on the ground, his face as pale as paper, his eyes open yet sightless, his chest still...

"Alec!" She screamed, the sound echoing around the room. She couldn't recognize her own voice. Even Simon seemed to freeze, unsure of what to do. But then he unlocked his muscles and kept moving, Isabelle thrashing, trying to get to her brother. "Let me go!" She intended to shout, but it came out more as a demanding of Alec's body was covered in fur, like a huge blanket, the tip of the blade visibly sticking through its neck.

"You can't help him," Simon replied, keeping an iron grip around her.

Isabelle looked around frantically. Where had their steles gone? If she could find one, maybe there would be enough time...

Her eyes suddenly locked on Sebastian, standing a few feet away from Alec, alongside Jace who was hunched over.

Fury uncoiled inside her, writhing white-hot, making it hard to breathe. "I want him dead," she said. Her voice was deathly-cold, belying the heat that surged inside her. He had already taken one brother away from her and now he was probably going to take another. She was overcome with the desire to make Sebastian suffer. To be freed of him and every hold he had on this world, in the most painful way she could see them cut.

Isabelle could vaguely make out Simon's breath by her ear. "He will. I swear."

She wasn't listening. She wanted him dead _now. _"I am going to kill you!" She screamed, and this time the sound made its way out how she intended it to be. Sebastian slowly turned to her, a masochistic expression on his face, tantalizing her. What she wouldn't give to wipe that smug look right off. Isabelle decided that if she were to die, right here would be the way to go, as long as it meant taking him down with her.

"I'm going to make you feel pain!" she growled. "More so than you have ever felt. More than you'd think yourself capable of feeling!"

"Isabelle, stop," Simon demanded. She knew he didn't want her to be locked on for a target. But she didn't care. She felt nothing besides the raging current of fire. "There won't be anything of you to bring back to the Clave! You'll be nothing by then."

"Isabelle, stop!" Simon growled. shoving her partially behind him.

"Always so rash," Sebastian hissed to her, not meeting her gaze. "One of your biggest faults. That's what, two from your family?"

A shriek of pure furociousness tore from her throat.

"Please, Izzy. Stop," Simon said, whispering so low that Sebastian couldn't hear.

"Not until. He is dead," she spat, unable to contain her anger, shielding grief.

"He'll pay for it, Iz," Simon promised.

Isabelle momentarily wondered how she could make him pay, a man devoid of human feelings, other than with death. If that was all she was given to grant him, she promised herself she would make it slow. Isabelle swore to be the first to hear the beggings of Johnothan Morgenstern.

* * *

Jace's chest felt tight, like a stretched rubberband, soon to snap. It was hard to breathe and he dubbled over again, trying to find relief of the ache.

Jace had experienced many levels of pain, but this...this was something different. It was as if hanging from a rope, just to have it snap; that moment in between just when it breaks and you know you've lost. Jace hadn't realized just how tightly he had been clinging to that rope, and now it was about to break.

"No more," Jace said, his voice rock hard and ice cold.

"Collateral damage. It was bound to happen," Sebastian hissed. "At least now the other one will have company."

Jace couldn't take it. He didn't even recall standing. One moment he was there and in the next he had bolted forward, knocking Sebastian to the ground and the swords out of his hands. Then he began beating Sebastian, thrusting his fist as hard as he could into the man's face. Jace's skin cracked and he felt his knuckles wet with blood but he couldn't feel it. "Fight back!" He shouted at Sebastian and hit him again.

Then Sebastian, as if complying, rolled sideways, sending a snapping hit to Jace's cheek. He fell back and Sebastian got up, his face smeared with black.

No swords. No steles. Just the two of them.

* * *

Clary's muscles were frozen as she looked at Alec and then Isabelle, her torment so evident that it pierced Clary's heart. But Alec wasn't gone yet; she could still make out his chest rising and falling. She took that as que and ran forward, dropping to her knees beside him. A gurgling sound came from his mouth as if he were trying to say something, but she shushed him. "Don't talk, okay? We'll...You'll be fine."

Clary sucked at comfort. She knew he knew that he was in a bad place. That the likelihood of saving him was very very slim, if not non-existent.

"I...I..." Alec gasped.

"Shh," Clary said again. This felt wrong. Isabelle should be here. Not her. Jace should be here. It wasn't right for her to be the last one to hear Alec speak.

"I did...bad things..." he choked out.

"We all have," she said. "You're a good person though, Alec. It's all okay."

Then her voice broke. "I'm sorry." Clary whispered. She was sorry she couldn't save him and though it wasn't her fault, she felt responsible. He'd been helping her. She'd probably be dead if it hadn't been for him.

Then Alec reached out and grabbed her hand. "No...Tell...Tell Jace I'm...sorry."

Clary took in a shuddering breath. "It's okay, Alec. We forgive you. It's alright," she murmured, her voice full of conviction.

He took in another gasping breath, but this one was even more shallow.

"We will beat him," Clary swore. "You should know that he won't get away with anything. We aren't going to give up, okay?"

..."O...Okay," he said. Then his breath faltered and his chest stilled.

Alec's eyes were unseeing, looking at Clary, his blue irises boring into her. She sat still, one hand stroking his hair, trying to comfort the boy who could feel neither her touch, or the promises she continued to make to him.


End file.
